III. Reading ComprehensionSection BDirections: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.(A)What do you want to be when you grow up? A teacher? A doctor? How about an ice-cream taster?Yes, there really is a job where you can get paid to taste ice-cream. Just ask John Harrison, an “Official Taste Tester” for the past 21 years. Testing helps manufacturers to be sure of a product’s quality. During his career Harrison has been responsible for approving large quantities of the sweet ice cream — as well as for developing over 75 flavors (味道).Some people think that it would be easy to do this job, after all, you just have to like ice cream, right? No —there’s more to the job than that, says Harrison, who has a degree in chemistry. He points out that a dairy or food-science degree would be very useful to someone wanting a career in this “cool” field.In a typical morning on the job, Harrison tastes and assesses 60 ice-cream samples. He lets the ice cream warm up to about 12℉. Harrison explains, “You get more flavor from warmer ice cream, which is why some kids like to stir it, creating ice-cream soup.”While the ice cream warms up, Harrison looks over the samples and grades each one on its appearance. “Tasting begins with the eyes,” he explains. He checks to see if the ice cream is attractive and asks himself, “Does the product have the color expected from that flavor?” Next it’s time to taste!Continuing to think up new ideas, try out new flavors, and test samples from so many kinds of ice cream each day keeps Harrison busy but happy — working at one cool job.65. What is John Harrison’s job?A. An official.B. An ice-cream taster.C. A chemist.D. An ice-cream manufacturer.66. According to John Harrison, to be qualified in the “cool field”, it is helpful to ______.A. keep a diary of workB. have a degree in related subjectsC. have new ideas every dayD. find out new flavors each day67. What does Harrison do first when testing ice cream?A. He stirs the ice cream.B. He examines the color of the ice cream.C. He tastes the flavor of the ice cream.D. He lets the ice cream warm up.68. Which of the following is probably the best title of the passage?A. Tasting with EyesB. Flavors of Ice CreamC. John Harrison’s LifeD. One Cool JobKeys: 65-68 BBDDIII. Reading ComprehensionSection BDirections: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.(A)ASK LASKASYOU’VE GOT QUESTIONS, SHE'S GOT ANSWERSMy children go to a primary school where they are not allowedto play football in the playground for fear that a child might behurt. Besides, now the school says there must be no homework because thelocal secondary school can't keep up with the amount of homework givenin the primary school. Can the school do this? Puzzled DadIt can't if enough parents do something about it. It is not just schools. We live in a society which wishes to get rid of risk. However, schools should have a little common sense and courage. Children need risk if they arc to grow up self-sufficient and confident. They need homework, too, if they are to fulfill their academic potential. Complain, loudly.I have a beautiful teenage daughter who spends an hour making up her face in front ofthe mirror every day. I tell her to go easy. She just gets mad or bursts into tears. How can I make her understand she's beautiful the way she is. Plain MomYou can't. Your daughter is at the age when she's trying to look beautiful, trying on new masks. And if her friends all dress up as she docs, you're in for an extra hard time. Support her and tell her she's beautiful — even if she looks ridiculous for now. Then invite her to join you for a day at a spa(健康美容中心). Let her try various looks until she's comfortable in her own skin.65. Why are the children not allowed to play football in the playground?A. The school is afraid that children might be injured.B. The school is not sensible and confident.C. The children don't have enough time to do homework.D. The children may fail to fulfill their academic potential.66. What disturbs Plain Mom is that her daughter______.A. becomes madB. cries a lotC. spends much rime before the mirrorD. is not beautiful enough67. The solution to Plain Mom's problem is to______.A. make her daughter look less ridiculousB. let her daughter dress up like her friendsC. make her daughter go to a spa every weekD. let her daughter feel herself what beauty isKeys: 65-67 ACDIII. Reading ComprehensionSection BDirections: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.(A)Even at school there had been an unhealthy competition between George and Richard.“I’ll be the first millionaire in Coleford!” Richard used to boast.“And you’ll be sorry you knew me,” George would reply “because I’ll be the best lawyer in town!”George never did become a lawyer and Richard never made any money. Instead both men opened bookshops on opposite sides of Coleford High Street. It was hard to make money from books, which made the competition between them worse.Now with only one bookshop in town, business was better for George. But sometimes he sat in his narrow , old kitchen and gazed out of the dirty window , thinking about his former rival (竞争对手). Perhaps he missed him?George was very interested in old dictionaries, He’d recently found a co llector in Australia who was selling a rare first edition. When the parcel arrived, the book was in perfect condition and George was delighted. But while he was having lunch, George glanced at the photo in the newspaper that the book had been wrapped in. He was astonished—the smiling face was older than he remembered but unmistakable! Trembling, George started reading.“Bookends have bought ten bookstores from their rivals Dylans. The company, owned by multi-millionaire Richard Pike, is now the largest boo kseller in Australia. ”65. George and Rivhard were at school.A. roommatesB. good friendsC. competitorsD. booksellers66. How did George feel about Richard after his disappearance?A. He envied Richard’s marriage.B. He thought of Richard from time to time.C. He felt lucky with no rival in town.D. He was guilty of Richard’s death.67. George got information about Richard from .A. a dictionary collector in AustraliaB. the latter’s rivals DylansC. a rare first edition of a dictionaryD. the wrapping paper of a book68. What happened to George and Richard in the end?A. Both George and Richard became millionaires.B. Both of them realized their original ambitions.C. George established a successful business white Richard was missing.D. Richard became a millionaire while George had no great success.Keys: 65-68 CBDDIII. Reading ComprehensionSection BDirections: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.(A)The elephant was lying heavily on its side, fast asleep. A few dogs started barking at it. The elephant woke up in a terrible anger: it chased the dogs into the village where they ran for safety. That didn't stop the elephant. It destroyed a dozen houses and injured several people. The villagers were scared and angry. Then someone suggested calling Parbati, the elephant princess.Parbati Barua's father was a hunter of tigers and an elephant tamer. He taught Parbati to ride an elephant before she could even walk. He also taught her the dangerous art of the elephant round-up -- how to catch wild elephants.Parbati hasn't always lived in the jungle. After a happy childhood hunting with her father, she was sent to boarding school in the city. But Parbati never got used to being there and many years later she went back to her old fife. "Life in the city is too dull. Catching elephants is an adventure and the excitement lasts for days after the chase," she says.But Parbati doesn't catch elephants just for fun. "My work," she says, "is to rescue man from the elephants, and to keep the elephants safe from man." And this is exactly what Parbati has been doing for many years. Increasingly, the Indian elephant is angry: for many years, illegal hunters have attacked it and its home in the jungle has been reduced to small pieces of land. It is now fighting back. Whenever wild elephants enter a tea garden or a village, Parbati is called to guide the animals back to the jungle before they can kill.The work of an elephant tamer also involves love and devotion. A good elephant tamer will spend hours a day singing love songs to a newly captured elephant. "Eventually they grow to lovetheir tamers and never forget them. They are also more loyal than humans," she said, as she climbed up one of her elephants and sat on the giant, happy animal. An elephant princess indeed!65. For Parbati, catching elephants is mainly to .A. get long lasting excitementB. keep both man and elephants safeC. send them back to the jungleD. make the angry elephants tame66. Before Parbati studied in a boarding school, .A. she spent her time hunting with her fatherB. she learned how to sing love songsC. she had already been called an elephant princessD. she was taught how to hunt tigers67. Indian elephants are getting increasingly angry and they revenge because __________.A. they are caught and sent for heavy workB. illegal hunters capture them and kill themC. they are attacked and their land gets limitedD. dogs often bark at them and chase them68. The passage starts with an elephant story in order to explain that in India _________.A. people easily fall victim to elephants' attacksB. the man-elephant relationship is getting worseC. elephant tamers are in short supplyD. dogs are as powerful as elephantsKeys: 65-68 BACBIII. Reading ComprehensionSection BDirections: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.(A)The teacher who did the most to encourage me was, as it happened, my aunt. She was Myrtle C. Manigault, the wife of my mother’s brother Bill. She taught in second grade at all-black Summer School in Camden, New Jersey.During my childhood and youth, Aunt Myrtle encouraged me to develop every aspect of my potential, without regard for what was considered practical or possible for black females. I liked to sing; she listened to my voice and pronounced it good. I couldn’t dance; she taught me the basic dancing steps. She took me to the theatre not just children’s theatre but adult comedies and dramas—and her faith that I could appreciate adult plays was not disappointed.My aunt also took down books from her extensive library and shared them with me. I had books at home, but they were all serious classics. Even as a child I had a strong liking for humor, and I’ll never forget the joy of discovering Don Marquis’s Archy & Mehitabel through her.Most important, perhaps, Aunt Myrtle provided my first opportunity to write for publication.A writer herself for one of the black newspapers, she suggested my name to the editor as a “youth columnist”. My column, begun when I was fourteen, was supposed to cover teenage social activities—and it did—but it also gave me the freedom to write on many other subjects as well as the habit of gathering material, the discipline of meeting deadlines, and, after graduation from college six years later, a solid collection of published material that carried my name and was my passport to a series of writing jobs.Today Aunt Myrtle is still an enthusiastic supporter of her “favourite niece”. Like a diamond, she has reflected a bright, multifaceted(多面的) image of possibilities to every pupil w ho has crossed her path.65. Which of the following did Aunt Myrtle do to the author during her childhood and youth?A. She lent her some serious classics.B. She cultivated her taste for music.C. She discovered her talent for dancing.D. She introduced her to adult plays.66. What does Archy and Mehitabel in Paragraph 3 probably refer to?A. A book of great fun.B. A writer of high fame.C. A serious masterpiece.D. A heartbreaking play.67. Aunt Myrtle recommended the author to a newspaper editor mainly to ______.A. develop her capabilities for writingB. give her a chance to collect materialC. involve her in teenage social activitiesD. offer her a series of writing jobs68. We can conclude from the passage that Aunt Myrtle was a teacher who ______.A. trained pupils to be diligent and well-disciplinedB. gave pupils confidence in exploiting their potentialC. emphasized what was practical or possible for pupils.D. helped pupils overcome difficulties in learningKeys: 65-68 DAABIII. Reading ComprehensionSection BDirections: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.(A)Phil White has just returned from an 18,000-mile, around-the-world bicycle trip. White had two reasons for making this epic journey. First of all, he wanted to use the trip to raise money for charity, which he did. He raised ~70,000 for the British charity, Oxfam. White's second reason for making the trip was to break the world record and become the fastest person to cycle around the world. He is still waiting to find out if he has broken the record or not.White set off from Trafalgar Square, in London, on 19th June 2004 and was back 299 days later. He spent more than l,300 hours in the saddle（车座）and destroyed four sets of tyres and three bike chains. He had the adventure of his life crossing Europe, the Middle East, India, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the Americas. Amazingly, he did all of this with absolutely no support team. No jeep carrying food, water and medicine. No doctor. Nothing! Just a bike and a very, very long road.The journey was lonely and desperate at times. He also had to fight his way across deserts, through jungles and over mountains. He cycled through heavy rains and temperatures of up to 45 degrees, all to help people in need. There were other dangers along the road. In Iran, he waschased by armed robbers and was lucky to escape with his life and the little money he had. The worst thing that happened to him was having to cycle into a headwind on a road that crosses the south of Australia. For 1,000 kilometres he battled against the wind that was constantly pushing him. This part of the trip was slow, hard work and depressing, but he made it in the end. Now Mr. White is back and intends to write a book about his adventures.65. When Phil White returned from his trip, he________.A. broke the world recordB. collected money for OxfamC. destroyed several bikesD. travelled about 1,300 hours66. What does the word "epic" in Paragraph l most probably meanA. Very slow but exciting.B. Very long and difficult.C. Very smooth but tiring.D. Very lonely and depressing.67. During his journey around the world, Phil White _______.A. fought heroically against robbers in IranB. experienced the extremes of heat and coldC. managed to ride against the wind in AustraliaD. had a team of people who travelled with him68. Which of the following words can best describe Phil White?A. Imaginative.B. Patriotic.C. Modest.D. Determined. Keys: 65-68 BBCDIII. Reading ComprehensionSection BDirections: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.(A)For some people, music is no fun at all. About four percent of the population is whatscientists call “amusic.” People who are amusic are born without the ability to recognize or reproduce musical notes (音调). Amusic people often cannot tell the difference between two songs. Amusics can only hear the difference between two notes if they are very far apart on the musical scale.As a result, songs sound like noise to an amusic. Many amusics compare the sound of music to pieces of metal hitting each other. Life can be hard for amusics. Their inability to enjoy music set them apart from others. It can be difficult for other people to identify with their condition. In fact, most people cannot begin to grasp what it feels like to be amusic. Just going to a restaurant or a shopping mall can be uncomfortable or even painful. That is why many amusics intentionally stay away from places where there is music. However, this can result in withdrawal and social isolation. “I used to hate parties,” says Margaret, a seventy-year-old woman who only recently discovered that she was amusic. By studying people like Margaret, scientists are finally learning how to identify this unusual condition.Scientists say that the brains of amusics are different from the brains of people who can ap preciate music. The difference is complex, and it doesn’t involve defective hearing. Amusics can understand other nonmusical sounds well. They also have no problems understanding ordinary speech. Scientists compare amusics to people who just can’t see cert ain colors.Many amusics are happy when their condition is finally diagnosed (诊断). For years, Margaret felt embarrassed about her problem with music. Now she knows that she is not alone. There is a name for her condition. That makes it easier for her to ex plain. “When people invite me to a concert, I just say, ‘No thanks, I’m amusic,’” says Margaret. “I just wish I had learned to say that when I was seventeen and not seventy.”65. Which of the following is true of amusics?A. Listening to music is far from enjoyable for them.B. They love places where they are likely to hear music.C. They can easily tell two different songs apart.D. Their situation is well understood by musicians.66. According to paragraph 3, a person with “defective hearing”is probably one who __________.A. dislikes listening to speechesB. can hear anything nonmusicalC. has a hearing problemD. lacks a complex hearing system67. In the last paragraph, Margaret expressed her wish that __________.A. her problem with music had been diagnosed earlierB. she were seventeen years old rather than seventyC. her problem could be easily explainedD. she were able to meet other amusics68. What is the passage mainly concerned with?A. Amusics’ strange behaviours.B. Some people’s inability to enjoy music.C. Musical talent and brain structure.D. Identification and treatment of amusics. Keys: 65-68 ACABIII. Reading ComprehensionSection BDirections: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.(A)Most people agree that honesty is a good thing. But does MotherNature agree? Animals can't talk, but can they lie in other ways? Can theylie with their bodies and behavior? Animal experts may not call it lying,but they do agree that many animals, from birds to chimpanzees, behavedishonestly to fool other animals. Why? Dishonesty often helps themsurvive.Many kinds of birds are very successful at fooling other animals. For example, a bird called the plover sometimes pretends to be hurt in order to protect its young. When a predator（猎食动物）gets close to its nest, the plover leads the predator away from the nest. How? It pretends to have a broken wing. The predator follows the "hurt" adult, leaving the baby birds safe in the nest.Another kind of bird, the scrub jay, buries its food so it always has something to eat. Scrubjays are also thieves. They watch where others bury their food and steal it. But clever scrub jays seem to know when a thief is watching them. So they go back later, unbury the food, and bury it again somewhere else.Birds called cuckoos have found a way to have babies without doing much work. How? They don't make nests. Instead, they get into other birds' nests secretly. Then they lay their eggs and fly away. When the baby birds come out, their adoptive parents feed them.Chimpanzees, or chimps, can also be sneaky. After a fight, the losing chimp will give its hand to the other. When the winning chimp puts out its hand, too, the chimps are friendly again. But an animal expert once saw a losing chimp take the winner's hand and start fighting again.Chimps are sneaky in other ways, too. When chimps find food that they love, such as bananas, it is natural for them to cry out. Then other chimps come running. But some clever chimps learn to cry very softly when they find food. That way, other chimps don't hear them, and they don't need to share their food.As children, many of us learn the saying "You can't fool Mother Nature." But maybe you can't trust her, either.66. A plover protects its young from a predator by______.A. getting closer to its youngB. driving away the adult predatorC. leaving its young in another nestD. pretending to be injured67. By "Chimpanzees, or chimps, can also be sneaky" (paragraph 5), the author means______.A. chimps are ready to attack othersB. chimps are sometimes dishonestC. chimps are jealous of the winnersD. chimps can be selfish too68. Which of the following is true according to the passage?A. Some chimps lower their cry to keep food away from others.B. The losing chimp won the fight by taking the winner's hand.C. Cuckoos fool their adoptive parents by making no nests.D. Some clever scrub jays often steal their food back.69. Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?A. Do animals lie?B. Does Mother Nature fool animals?C. How do animals learn to lie?D. How does honesty help animals survive?Keys: 66-69 DBAAIII. Reading ComprehensionSection BDirections: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.(A)Look to many of history’s cultural symbols, and there you’ll find an ancestor of Frosty, the snowman in the movie Frozen. It appeared on some of the first postcards, starred in some of the earliest silent movies, and was the subject of a couple of the earliest photos, dating all the way back to the 1800s. I discovered even more about one of humanity’s earliest forms of life art during several years of research around the world.For example, snowmen were a phenomenon in the Middle Ages, built with great skill and thought. At a time of limited means of expression, snow was like free art supplies dropped from the sky. It was a popular activity for couples to leisurely walk through town to view the temporary works of chilly art. Some were created by famous artists, including a 19-year-old Michelangelo, who in 1494 was appointed by the ruler of Florence, Italy, to build a snowman in his mansion’s courtyard.The Miracle of 1511 took place during six freezing works called the Winter of Death. The city of Brussels was covered in snowmen—an impressive scene that told stories on every street corner. Some were political in nature, criticizing the church and government. Some were a reflection of people’s imagination. For the people of Brussels, this was a defining moment of defining freedom. At least until spring arrived, by which time they were dealing with damaging floods.If you fear the heyday of the snowman has passed, don’t worry: I’ve learned that some explosive snowman history is still being made today. Every year since 1818, the people of Zurich, Switzerland, celebrate the beginning of spring by blowing up a snowman. On the third Monday of April, the holiday Sechselauten is kicked off when a cotton snowman called the Boogg is stuffedwith explosive and paraded through town by bakers and other tradesmen who throw bread to the crowds. The parade ends with the Boogg being placed on a 40-foot pile of firewood. After the bells of the Church of St. Peter have rung six times, representing the passing of winter, the pile is lit. When the snowman explodes, winter is considered officially over—the quicker it is burnt down, the longer summer is said to be.66. According to the passage, why did snowmen become a phenomenon in the Middle Ages?A. People thought of snow as holy art supplies.B. People longed to see masterpieces of snow.C. Building snowmen was a way for people to express themselves.D. Building snowmen helped people develop their skill and thought.67.“The heyday of the snowman” (Paragraph 4) means the time when___________.A. snowmen were made mainly by artistsB. snowmen enjoyed great popularityC. snowmen were politically criticizedD. snowmen caused damaging floods68. In Zurich, the blowing up of the Boogg symbolizes__________________.A. the start of the paradeB. the coming of a longer summerC. the passing of the winterD. the success of tradesmen69. What can be concluded about snowmen from the passage?A. They were appreciated in historyB. They have lost their valueC. They were related to moviesD. They vary in shape and sizeKeys: 66-69 CBCAIII. Reading ComprehensionSection BDirections: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.(A)One early morning, I went into the living room to find my mother reading a thick book called Best Loved Poems to Read Again and Again. My interest was aroused only by the fact that the word “Poems” appeared in big, hot pink letters.“Is it good?” I asked her.“Yeah,” she answered. “There’s one I really like and you’ll like it, too.” I leaned forward.“‘Patty Poem,’” she read the title. Who is Patty? I wondered. The poem began:She never puts her toys away,Just leaves them scattered①where they lay,… ①散乱的The poem was just three short sections. The final one came quickly:When she grows and gathers poise②, ②稳重I’ll miss her harum-scarum③ noise, ③莽撞的And look in vain④ for scattered toys. ④徒劳地And I’ll be sad.A terrible sorrow washed over me. Whoever Patty was, she was a mean girl. Then, the shock.“It’s you, honey,” My mother said sadly.To my mother, the poem revealed a parent’s affection when her child grows up and leaves. To me, the “she” in the poem was horror. It was my mama who would be sad. It was so terrible I burst out crying.“What’s wrong?” my mother asked.“Oh Mama,” I cried. “I don’t want to grow up ever!”She smiled. “Honey, it’s okay. You’re not growing up anytime soon. And when you do, I’ll still love you, okay?”“Okay,” I was still weeping. My panic has gone. But I could not help thinking about that silly poem. After what seemed like a safe amount of time, I read the poem again and was confused. It all fit so well together, like a puzzle. The language was simple, so simple I could plainly understand its meaning, yet it was still beautiful. I was now fascinated by the idea of poetry, words that had the power to make or break a person’s world.I have since fallen in love with other poems, but “Patty Poem” remains my poem. After all, “Patty Poem” gave me my love for poetry not because it was the poem that lifted my spirits, but because it was the one that hurt me the most.。