2016高考英语二轮阅读理解八十集之连载训练（43）
阅读下列四篇短文，从每小题后所给的A,B,C或D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
The multi－million pound new Library of Birmingham (LoB)will be the most visible sign of the way the city is accepting the digitalization(数字化)of everyday life.
Set to open in 2016，the￡188m LoB is already beginning to take shape next to the Birmingham Repertory Theatre，with which it will share some equipment.
As digital media(媒介)is important to its_idea，the project is already providing chances for some of the many small new local companies working at the new technologies.
Brian Gambles，the LoB project director，says it is about giving people the right tools for learning：“The aim is to mix the physical with the digital，providing 24－hour services which can be used through many different ways.It is important to enable us to reach more people，more effectively.”
The digital library will，he says，be as important as the physical one，allowing the distant use of the services, making sure that it is never closed to the public.
Even before the LoB is complete，the public has been able to go online to visit the Virtual(虚拟的)LoB，designed by Baden，the Birmingham virtual worlds specialists.Not only have the public been able to learn about the LoB，but the virtual one has also enabled those working on the LoB to understand the building and how it will work before it even opens.
Two other small Birmingham－based digital companies are also working on the LoB projects.Substrat，a digital design company，is developing what it calls an example of an “enlarged reality” project.It is about the use of an exciting smart phone，an important part of the LoB which is in the early stages of development.And The People's Archive is an online library of historical figures of the city being built up by a digital content company in Cahoots，in
which users will be encouraged to add to and comment on
the material.
Gambles says：“Technology will enable us to make the library's content and services open to citizens as never before”
【语篇解读】 本文是一则资讯报道。即将落成的Library of Birmingham(LoB)将是伯明翰市接受日常生活数字化的标志。
1．The underlined part“its idea”in Paragraph 3 refers to the idea of ________.
A．the equipment
B．the project
C．the digital media
D．the physical library
解析 词义猜测题。第三段中的“the project”指的是文章中出现的“the LoB project”，结合画线部分的上下文语境可知此处讲的是数字媒体对这个项目很重要，所以B项正确。
答案 B
．While visiting the Virtual LoB，the public can ________.
A．get a general idea of the LoB
B．meet many world－famous experts
C．learn how to put up a library building
D．understand how the specialists work on the project
解析 细节理解题。根据第六段中的“Not only have the public been able to learn about the LoB...”可知，公众访问虚拟LoB可了解LoB的大体情况。
答案 A
．Which of the following is true of the LoB when it opens?
A．a，b，d
B．a，c，e
C．b，c，d
D．b，d，e
解析 推理判断题。根据第四段内容可知a、b两项正确，e项错误；根据倒数第二段的第二、三句可知c项错误；由倒数第二段的最后一句可知d项正确。故选A项。
答案 A
．The text is most probably taken from ________.
A．a computer book
B．a library guide
C．a project handbook
D．a newspaper report
解析 推理判断题。文章主要介绍了即将落成的Library of Birmingham(LoB)的相关情况，最有可能是一则资讯报道。
答案 D
阅读下列四篇短文，从每小题后所给的A,B,C或D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
America's Top 4 Tourist Attractions
Below you'll find the most popular travel and vacation destinations in the US.
1．Times Square，New York City
This Manhattan crossroads of commerce is the top spot on our list，thanks to increasing visitors to the Big Apple in 2008 despite the economic turndown.According to statistics，“80% of visitors to NYC make it a point to visit Times Square.”Total NYC visits last year were 47 million，giving us an estimate of 37.6 million travelers through the“Crossroads of the World”．
2．The Las Vegas Strip，Nev.
The“Neon Trail”that makes up the heart of Sin City is also part of the federal government's National Scenic Byways Program，which designates roads based on “archeological，cultural，historic，natural，recreational and scenic qualities”．Hard to say which of these qualities best describes Vegas，but we can disqualify“natural”．Last year，total visitors to Las Vegas numbered 37.5 million；a poll by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority found that an average of 80% of visitors had either stayed overnight or gambled(赌博)on the Strip.
3．National Mall and Memorial Parks，Washington，D.C.
Many of the nation's iconic(图标的)public landmarks are found in the 1,000－plus acres of the National Mall and Memorial Parks，including the Washington Monument，the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials，and the Korean and Vietnam War Veterans memorials.The Smithsonian Institution's 19 museums are also close to the Mall；last year，the network of free museums drew more than 25 million visitors.
4．Faneuil Hall Marketplace，Boston
Built in 1742 by Peter Faneuil，a wealthy Boston merchant，Faneuil Hall served as a commercial center of the city for centuries and a site for famous orations(演说)，like Samuel Adams' independence－rallying speech to colonists.Faneuil also includes the restored 19th－century Quincy Market.Today，shoppers account for a large share of visitors.Faneuil's historic significance vaults it to the status of cultural attraction，attracting 20 million visitors every year.
【语篇解读】 本文介绍了美国最受欢迎的四个游览胜地——位于纽约市曼哈顿区的时代广场和赌博之城拉斯维加斯、华盛顿的国家广场和纪念公园以及波士顿的法尼尔厅市场。
．How many visitors stayed overnight or gambled in Las Vegas last year?
A．47 million.
B．37.5 million.
C．30 million.
D．25 million.
解析 细节理解题。根据笫三段的内容可知，去年到拉斯维加斯的游客是3 750万，其中80%在那里过夜或者赌博。通过计算可知选C。
答案 C
．We can infer that many tourists come to Washington，D.C.________.
A．to get free access to museums
B．to enjoy the view of its square
C．to shop in the famous market
D．to find pleasure in natural scenery
解析 推理判断题。根据第三个景点下面所叙述内容的最后一句可推知，许多游客去华盛顿是为了参观那里免费的博物馆。
答案 A．What do we know about Faneuil Hall Marketplace?
A．It is the oldest market in the world.
B．Its buildings date back to 150 years.
C．It is famous for the variety of goods.
D．It got its name from a rich businessman.
解析 推理判断题。根据最后一段内容可知，始建于1742年的法尼尔厅市场得名于一个名为Peter Faneuil的富商。
答案 D)
阅读下列四篇短文，从每小题后所给的A,B,C或D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
When Debbie Macomber decided to pursue her dream of becoming a writer，she rented a typewriter，put it on the kitchen table，and began typing each morning before the kids went to school.When the kids came home，she moved the typewriter and made them dinner.When they went to bed，she moved it back and typed some more.For two years，Debbie followed this routine.Supermom had become a struggling writer and she was loving every minute of it.
One night，however，her husband，said to her，“Honey，I'm sorry，but you're not bringing in any income.We can't do this anymore.We can't survive on just what I make.”
That night，her heart broken and her mind too busy to let her sleep.She stared at the ceiling in their darkened bedroom.Debbie knew—with all of the responsibilities of keeping up a house and looking after four kids—that working 40 hours a week would leave her no time to write.
Seeing her despair，her husband woke up and asked，“What's wrong？”
“I really think I could have made it as a writer，I really do.”
Wayne was silent for a long time，and then said，“All right，honey，go for it.”
So Debbie returned to her dream and her typewriter on the kitchen table，pounding out page after page for another two years.Her family went without vacations，pinched pennies，and wore hand－me－downs.
But the sacrifice and the persistence finally paid off.After five years of struggling，Debbie sold her first book.Then another.And another.Until finally，today，Debbie has published more than 100 books，three of which have been sold for movies.Over 60 million copies are in print，and she has millions of loyal fans.
And Wayne？All that sacrifice in support of his wife paid off handsomely.He got to retire at age 50 and now spends his time building an airplane in the basement of their 7,000 square－foot mansion.
Debbie's kids got a gift far more important than a few summer camps.As adults，they realize what Debbie gave them was far more important—permission and encouragement to pursue their own dreams.
【语篇解读】 本文主要讲述了Debbie Macomber坚持不懈地追逐自己的梦想，最后取得成功的故事。
．Her husband asked her to give up writing because ________.
A．he wanted her to do more housework rather than just write
B．she couldn't earn any money and it was hard for
them to make ends meet
C．he wanted her to find a better－paid job that
interested her
D．he thought keeping up a house was a wife's responsibility
解析 细节理解题。根据第二段可知她的丈夫感到自己一个人挣钱实在难以应付家庭的开支，希望她能放弃写作，去挣钱分担家庭的负担，故B项符合题意。
答案 B2．Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A．Debbie spent 40 hours in writing a week before she succeeded as a writer.
B．Debbie's family often went out on vacations without her.
C．Debbie's husband gave up his own job to support her writing.
D．Debbie's success has brought her lots of money.
解析 细节理解题。根据倒数第二、三段可知，Debbie作为一个职业作家获得了巨大的成功，改善了家人的生活条件，故D项符合文意。
答案 D．We can infer from the last paragraph that ________.
A．Wayne doesn't benefit from her wife's success
B．Debbie has great influence on her children's going after their dreams
C．Debbie's kids all realized their dreams as adults
D．Debbie is a failure as a mother while she is a success as a writer
解析 推理判断题。根据最后一段内容可知，Debbie支持鼓励她的孩子追求梦想，给了孩子们比野营更重要的礼物，Debbie对她的孩子追求梦想有着极大的影响，故B项正确。
答案 B．What's probably the best title for the passage?
A．Go for it
B．A great mother
C．Union is strength
D．Writing pays more
解析 主旨大意题。本文主要讲述了Debbie Macomber坚持不懈地追逐自己的梦想，并取得成功的故事，告诉我们要努力争取，坚持不懈。Go for it表示“努力争取”，形象地表达了文章的主旨。
答案 AA,B,C或D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
It's interesting to see how people make use of the time they spend on public transport in Indian cities like Delhi and Mumbai.
In crowded buses and trains people manage to take a short nap and some even reach the snoring stage.Or they spread out a newspaper over multiple knees and arms to read about the latest sport results or political crisis.
Then there are the experienced travellers who have been playing cards with the same group over the last decade or so.They even have their specific seats so well－worn that you can make out the shape of their backsides.
There is no doubt about it.Travelling by public transport is being in the thick of the seasons of life－a sweaty life in summer where people，blissfully unaware of the rivers of sweat running down their brows and inside their clothes.At the first smell of a perfumed man or woman boarding the stuffy bus or train，most people feel they are reborn.
During the rains you can't avoid getting wet or muddied.The windows，almost always，are not a perfect fit and if you're not drenched by a sudden，heavy rain shower then you are bound to catch a jet spray of muddy water caused by a fellow motorist driving fast through a puddle.
The rains are a perfect time for people to switch their old umbrellas for new ones.Since there are so many that look alike，it's impossible to tell whose is whose.
Winter is the time when it feels good－or at least warm—to be part of a crowd.It is amazing how much the collective breaths of a hundred or so people can raise the freezing temperature inside.Looking at the masses dressed in their bright red pullovers or green coats，it's fun to imagine what faces lie beneath their dark woolen hats.
The cold winter passes，making way for spring.It is impossible not to see every little flower by the wayside blooming proudly.And the warm sun manages to transmit some of their pleasantness to the inside of a bus or train.
Now，wouldn't it be perfect if we had public transport worth the name in all our cities?
【语篇解读】 普通的画面，平常的生活，变化的季节，永恒的旋律，印度的公共交通工具上每天都演绎着平凡人平淡的故事。
1．On Indian public transport，you can always expect to see people ________.
A．sleeping and reading newspapers
B．arguing and playing games
C．enjoying the view and playing cards
D．carrying umbrellas and whispering politely
解析 细节理解题。根据第二段中的内容可知在印度的公共交通工具上，可以看到人们在睡觉或者在看报纸。
答案 A2．According to the author what will make passengers feel refreshed when travelling in summer?
A．The cool evening breeze.
B．The rain pouring over their clothes.
C．The joy of a game of cards.
D．The sweet fragrance of a new passenger.
解析 细节理解题。根据第四段最后一句的内容可知，一位新乘客散发出的香味能让车上的乘客神清气爽，犹如重生。
答案 D．If you see people in colourful clothing and breathing heavily，you are probably travelling during the ________.
A．summer
B．rainy seasons
C．winter
D．spring
解析 推理判断题。根据倒数第三段中的内容可推知，当人们穿着各色衣服并且大口呼吸的时候，这里是”冬季”。
答案 C．We can infer from the passage that ________.
A．Indian people don't mind switching umbrellas with others
B．almost everyone in India wears perfume when they go out
C．the buses and trains are old and in poor conditions
D．Indian transport is the most crowded in the world
解析 推理判断题。结合第三段以及第五段中的内容可推知，公共汽车和火车都很破旧。
答案 C．What is the tune of language used in this passage?
A．Humourous.
B．Critical.
C．Frightening.
D．Concerned.
解析 推理判断题。文章生动形象地刻画了印度公共交通工具上的众生相，根据文章中的多处细节描写可知作者笔调“幽默”。后三项分别表示“批判的”“令人恐惧的”“担心的”，都不是本文的写作风格。
答案 A