阅读理解, 从给的四个选项 (A、B、C和D) 中, 选出最佳选项。
The Arctic is a polar region.It surrounds the North Pole.
Like Antarctica，the Arctic is a land of ice and snow.Antarctica holds the record for a low temperature reading 125 degrees Fahrenheit below zero.Reading of 85 degrees below zero are common in both the Arctic and Antarctica.Winter temperatures average 30 degrees below zero in the Arctic.At the South Pole the winter average is about 73 degrees below zero.
One thing alone makes it almost impossible for men to live in Antarctica and in parts of the Arctic.This one thing is the low temperature—the killing chill of the far North and the polar South.
To
survive，men must wear the warmest possible clothing.They must build windproof shelters.They must keep heaters going at all times.Not even for a moment can they be unprotected against the belowzero temperatures.
Men have a way of providing for themselves.Polar explorers wrap themselves in warm coats and furs.The cold makes life difficult，but the explorers can stay alive.
What about animals？Can they survive？Do we find plants？Do we find life in the Arctic and in Antarctica？Yes，we do.There is life in the oceans.There is life on land.
Antarctica，as we have seen，is a cold place indeed.But this has not always been the case.Expedition scientists have discovered that Antarctica has not always been a frozen continent.At one time the weather in Antarctica may have been much like our own.
Explorers have discovered coal in Antarctica.This leads them to believe that Antarctica at one time was a land of swamps and forests.Heat and moisture must have kept the trees in the forests alive.
1．What does the underlined word“chill”probably mean?
A．coldness
B．coolness
C．damp
D．desert
答案：A 猜测词义题。根据前面的the low temperature可知这个画线词表示“寒冷”。
2．One of the reasons why there is no man living in Antarctica and in parts of the Arctic is that________.A．there are no wildlife there
B．there are no minerals
C．they are extremely cold
D．they are hard to access
答案： C 细节理解题。根据第三段可知极度寒冷使人们不可能生活在南极和北极的部分地区。
3．According to the passage，which statement is TRUE?
A．The lowest temperature of the world is in the Arctic.
B．To survive in the Poles，the explorers wear the warmest possible clothing.
C．Antarctica has always been a cold place.
D．Coal has been found in the Arctic.
答案：B 细节理解题。根据“Polar explorers wrap themselves in warm coats and furs.”可知B项符合题意。
4．If you are exploring the polar region，you need to______.
A．wear only furs
B．build a windproof shelter
C．use heaters sometimes
D．live in groups
答案：B 事实细节题。根据第四段和第五段可知。
阅读理解
Commuters (上下班往返的人) who drive to work will face a parking charge of up to ￡350 a year.Ministers are backing a workplace parking charge which will come into force in Nottingham in 2017 and is likely to be adopted across the country.The scheme will see firms with more than ten parking places for staff charged ￡350 a year for each space in two years.
Employers would be free to pass on the charge to their staff—meaning it would effectively be a tax on driving to work.The scheme aims to reduce traffic by preventing unnecessary car journeys and raise funds to improve public transport，but critics say it is just an excuse for councils to fill their coffers (金库)．
Some ten million Britons drive to work each day，and the British Chambers of Commerce says the new charge could total ￡3.4 billion a year if rolled out nationwide.
Already some firms in Nottingham have threatened to leave the city，where 40,000 commuters use their cars to get to work.A spokesman said the scheme was nothing more than a tax on jobs.“It is very unfair to discriminate against those employers who have parking spaces，which get vehicles off the streets，” he said.“And these charges apply around the clock，which is especially unfair on shift workers who rely on their cars because public transport is not available.This is more about increasing the government’s income than reducing traffic.”
However，Transport Minister Sadiq Khan gave the plan an
official approval during a visit to Nottingham.The council says
the tax will raise as much as ￡100 million over ten years—one fifth of the cost of a new transport system for the city.
Another transport spokesman Theresa Villiers said the tax
would have a devastating impact on businesses struggling to
cope with the economic decline.
But Richard Hebditch of the Campaign for Better Transport
said the tax would raise money to invest in better transport.“We put forward the idea of workplace parking taxes as a fairer way to raise money to invest in the future local transport services.We are pleased that the people of Nottingham will be the first to benefit.”
【语篇解读】 本文主要讲述了Nottingham将出台政策对工作场所停车收费及由此引发的激烈讨论。
1．Supporters argue that the scheme________.
A．can help improve the parking conditions for the staff
B．should be applied to ail commuters driving to work
C．is certain to be carried out despite the objections
D．will relieve traffic pressure and improve public transport
解析 细节理解题。根据第二段中的“The scheme aims to reduce traffic by preventing unnecessary car journeys and raise funds to improve public transport，but critics say it is just an excuse for councils to fill their coffers (金库)．”可知，支持者认为这个方案能够缓解交通压力，改善公共交通。
答案 D
2．According to the objectors，the scheme is unfair for________.
A．the firms with parking lots
B．the workforce without cars
C．the employees parking their cars on the streets
D．the staff driving to work in the daytime
解析 细节理解题。根据第四段的第三句可知，A项正确。
答案 A
3．Which word can best describe Theresa Villiers’s attitude towards the scheme?
A．Neutral. B．Negative.
C．Understanding. D．Positive.
解析 态度推断题。根据第六段内容可知，Theresa Villiers对这个方案持否定态度。
答案 B
4．It can be inferred from the passage that________.
A．many firms are willing to pay the charges for their staff
B．the public transport in Nottingham is in great need of improvement
C．the author believes Britons will benefit from the scheme
D．those firms with more commuters will leave Nottingham
解析 推理判断题。根据倒数第三段中的“The council says the tax will raise as much as ￡100 million over ten years—one fifth of the cost of a new transport system for the city.”以及最后一段内容可推知，Nottingham的公共交通急需改善。
答案 B
阅读理解。
When a couple decides to marry, they naturally inform both sets of parents and stepparents before having a party planned or telling all their friends．The days are long gone of the man going trembling to the girl’s father and saying, “ Sir, may I have the honor of having the hand of your daughter in marriage?” However, a wise couple always discuss their plans for marriage with their respective families, and a young man often suggests a “financial talk” with his future father-in-law before the latter is faced with the embarrassment of asking for one．Even if a young woman has supported herself and lives away from home, her parents have the right to know how her fiancé proposes to handle the long-range financing of their family and home．The fiancé should state his income, his savings, and his failure expectations, without overstating any of them．
Engagement parties are given by the parents of the bride-to-be or by a relative of the bride acting for her parents, usually just before the newspaper announcement of the engagement．If the bride-to-be and her fiancé live in a city other than her parents, it is better for her parents to go to the city than her to go home to them for the engagement party．She and her fiancé will, after all, be partied in her parents’ hometown during the wedding festivities．However, if the family home is not far away, it is proper for the engaged couple to travel there for the announcement party．The young man’s family should be invited, too．If the bride’s parents are no longer living, then a relative or a close friend can give the party．It is usually a simple cocktail’s party, champagne served for toasts to the engaged couple．
If the party is very large, the engaged couple and the girl’s parents might form a receiving line---- but they do not have to．The bride-to-be usually wears her engagement ring officially for the first time on this occasion．If she has a gift for the groom-to-be, she gives it to him right before or after the engagement party．
For Americans, the traditional engagement ring is a diamond solitaire （单粒宝石）．However, today anything goes---- a ring with many colored stones, a ring with a large semiprecious stone, an heirloom （传家宝） ring reset in a modern design, or even a stone in the bride’s family, simply reset in a Tiffany setting．The wedding ring will be of the same metal as the engagement ring．Some girls prefer no engagement ring but choose a wedding band that is decorated with stones instead．No one has to have an engagement ring．A girl may want her fiancé to give her a pearl necklace instead, or a jeweled watch．Jeweled rings can be given as gifts on many occasions during the married lives---- such as wedding anniversaries, the birth of a child, or an important job promotion．
4．According to the first paragraph, young men ________．
must tell all their friends before planning a party
B．used to feel afraid of going to meet their girl friends’ parents
C．must promise that their family could support them
D．must guarantee they live away from home already
5．The underlined word “one” in the first paragraph most probably means ________．
A．a marriage
B．a plan
C． a financial talk D．an embarrassment
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A．The bride-to-be and her fiancé will have to wait in line with both of their parents．
If the girl’s parents are dead, a relative or a close friend gives a party on their behalf．
The engagement party is usually given before the newspaper announcement．
It’s no longer necessary to give a diamond solitaire as the engagement ring．
We can infer from the last paragraph that ________．
a young man can give his wife a jeweled watch on the birthday of their child
B．the heirloom must be reset in a modern design
C．the engagement ring and the wedding ring are different
D．some girls don’t mind what they are given for the engagement
【参考答案】4—7、BCAD
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 term “underemployment” has three related meanings. In one sense, it refers to a situation in which someone with excellent job qualifications (资格) is working in a position that requires less qualifications, as for instance in the case of a lawyer driving a school bus. In the second sense, it means working part-time when one would prefer to be working full-time. In the third sense, it is a form of overstaffing (人浮于事) in which employees are not being fully made use of.
All forms of underemployment have effect on the economy and the health of the business community. Long-term underemployment can also cover up the truth behind the employment situations. When nations collect employment statistics, they usually come up with a base number of “unemployed” individuals, using that number to judge the health of the job market. This number does not include part-time workers looking for full-time jobs, as they are considered employed, and it also doesn’t reflect workers who are underpaid, considering their qualifications.
In the first sense, underemployment is a common problem in many of the developed world. Many people with college degrees are working in low-level or service industry jobs because the job market is full.
The issue of part-time employment is also very serious. Some people are forced into part-time jobs, while others find themselves taking a part-time job because nothing else is available, even though they really need to work full-time. This problem is especially common in areas with seasonal employment, where employers find it cheaper to maintain and lay off part-time staffs, rather than keeping a full staff at all times.
In the sense of shortage of workers, underemployment appears in a variety of situations. Some companies maintain a full staff to be prepared for seasonal work, or to keep well-trained, qualified workers so that they will be available when needed. Labor laws and union pressures may also prevent a company from cutting down on staff or working hours, leading to a situation in which people report to work, but have nothing to do.
1. The purpose of the passage is .
A. to show underemployment is becoming more serious today
B. to imply women are laid off more than men
C. to explain the meaning of “underemployment”
D. to tell the present economic situations
2. According to the text, underemployment means .
A. the same meaning as the word—unemployed
B. employees are not fully taken charged of
C. qualified workers get a low salary
D. people who do manual work for wages
3. When it comes to unemployment statistics, .
A. the underpaid workers are included
B. it implies the people who are jobless
C. the part-time employees are included
D. it shows the employment situation of a country
4. Which of the following is NOT TRUE to the 4th and 5th paragraph?
A. Underemployment only occurs in advanced countries.
B. People with college degrees sometimes take a part-time job.
C. Part-time staffs seems benefit from firms less.
D. Companies need full-time staffs indeed.
5. Some companies maintain a full staff .
A. to compete with others in the future
B. to make preparations for seasonal work
C. to get the skilled workers paid
D. to obey labor laws and union pressures
【参考答案】1—5、CBBAB
阅读理解。
Sports is not only physically challenging, but it can also mentally challenging．Criticism（批评）from coaches（trainers）, parents, and other teammates, as well as pressure to win can create too much anxiety or stress for young athletes．Stress can be physical, emotional, or psychological, and research has showed 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（realize）, at all times, that their feedback（反馈）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（careful） 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（pay more attention to） the outcome and find fault with youngsters’ performances．Positive reinforcement should be provided in spite of the outcome．Research shows that positive reinforcement motivates and has a greater effect on learning than criticism．Again, criticism can create high levels of stress（pressure）, which can lead to burnout．
1．According to the passage sport is positive for young people in that __________．
A．it can help them learn more about society
B．it teaches them how to set realistic goals for themselves
C．it enables them to find flaws in themselves
D．it can provide them with valuable experiences
2．According to the passage parents and coaches should __________．
A．help children to win every game
B．pay more attention to letting children enjoy sports
C．enable children to understand the positive aspect of sports
D．train children to deal with stress
3．The author’s purpose in writing the passage is ___________．
A．to persuade young children not to worry about criticism
B．to emphasize the importance of positive reinforcement to children
C．to discuss the skill of combing criticism with encouragement
D．to teach young athletes how to avoid burnout
【参考答案】1—3、DBB