神马文学网英语阅读4
来源：百度文库 编辑：神马文学网 时间：2024/05/01 16:27:32
20、（1分）
A nobleman and a merchant once met in an inn. For their lunch they both ordered soup. When it was brought, the nobleman took a spoonful, but the soup was so hot that he burned his mouth and tears came to his eyes, The merchant asked him why he was weeping. The nobleman was ashamed to admit (承认) that he had burned his mouth and answered, “Sir, I once had a brother who committed a great crime (犯罪), for which he was hanged. I was thinking of his death, and that made me weep.” The merchant believed this story and began to eat his soup. He too burned his mouth, so that he had tears in his eyes. The nobleman noticed it and asked the merchant, “Sir, why do you weep?” The merchant, who now saw that the nobleman had deceived (欺骗) him, answered, “My lord(=master), I am weeping because you were not hanged together with your brother.”
1. This story teaches us ______.
A. not to eat in inns B. not to eat soup that is too hot
C.to cry when we burn our mouth D. not to believe everything you hear
2. The nobleman did not tell the truth because he ______.
A. was a nobleman felt ashamed C. was in an inn D. was angry
3. The nobleman should have ______.
A. smiled with joy B. shouted with laughter
C. told the truth D. scolded the waiter
4. It is probable that the nobleman ______.
A. had no brother who was hanged B. had a very good brother
C. knew the soup was too hot D. had never eaten soup
5. The merchant’s answer showed that be ______.
A. was very happy B. believed the nobleman
C. was angry with the nobleman D. had kind heart
21、（1分）
In a very real sense, people who have read good literature have lived more than people who cannot or will not read. To have read Gulliver’s Travels is to have had the experience of listening to Jonathan Swift, of learning about man’s inhumanity (残酷) to man. To read Huckleberry Finn is to feel what it is like to drift (漂流) down the Mississippi River on a raft (木排). To have read Byron is to have suffered his rebellions with him and to have enjoyed his nose—thumbing at (对……的蔑视) society. To have read Native Son is to know how it feels to be frustrated (受挫折) in the particular way in which Blacks in Chicago are frustrated. This is effective communication (交流). It enables us to feel how others felt about life, even if they lived thousands of miles away and centuries age. It is not true that “We have only one life to live.” If we read, we can live as many more lives and as many kinds of lives as we wish.
1. The sentence “People who have read good literature have lived more than people who cannot or will not read” suggests that ______.
A. reading stimulates(激发) a desire to travel
B. reading broadens(扩大) a person’s experience
C. people who read much live longer
D. people who read are more relaxed
2. The author implies that good literature ______.
A. must deal with social problems B. must teach a lesson
C. is varied in subject and in content (内容) D. is always exciting and heart--warming
3. According to the author, reading good literature ______.
A. produces new income B. is quite useless
C. satisfies the curious D. opens new worlds to us(眼界)
4. The underlined word effective in this passage means ______.
A. actual B. striking C. existing D. having an effect
22、（1分）
When I lived in
“We didn’t stay at bed and breakfast houses,” they said, “because we found that most families were away on holiday.”
I thought this was strange. Finally I understood what had happened. My friends spoke little English, and they thought ‘VACANCIES’ meant ‘holidays’, because the Spanish word for ‘holidays” is ‘vacaciones’. So they did not go to house where the sign outside said ‘VACANCLES’, which in English means there are free rooms. Then my friends went to house where the sign said ‘NO VACANCLES’, because they thought this meant the people who owned the house were not away on holiday. But they found that these houses were all full. As a result, they stayed at hotels!
We laughed about this and about mistakes my friends made in reading other signs. In Spanish, the word ‘DIVERSION’ means fun. In English, it means that workmen are repairing the road, and that you must take a different road. When my friends saw the word ‘DIVERSION’ on a road sign, they thought they were going to have fun. Instead, the road ended in a large hold.
English people have problems too when they learn foreign languages. Once in
1. My Spanish friends wanted advice about ______.
A. learning English B. finding places to stay in
C. driving their car on English roads D. going to
2. I suggested that they stay at bed and breakfast houses because ______.
A. they would be able to practise their English
B. it would be much cheaper than staying in hotels
C. it would be convenient for them to have dinner
D. there would be no problem about finding accommodation there
3. “NO VACANCIES” in English means ______.
A. no free rooms B. free rooms C. not away on holiday D. holidays
4. If you see a road sign that says ‘Diversion’, you will ______.
A. fall into a hole
B. have a lot of fun and enjoy yourself
C. find that the road is blocked by crowds of people
D. have to take a different road
5. When someone offered me more coffee and I said ‘Thank you’ in French, I ______.
A didn’t really want any more coffee B. wanted them to take the coffee pot away
C. really wanted some more coffee D. wanted to express my politeness
6. I was surprised when the coffee pot was taken away because I ______.
A. hadn’t finished drinking my coffee B. was expecting another cup of coffee
C. meant that I didn’t want any more D. was never misunderstood
23、（1分）
A beautiful and very successful actress was the star of a new musical show. Her home was in the country, but she didn’t want to have to go back there every night, so she rented (租用) an expensive flat in the centre of the city, bought some beautiful furniture (家具) and hired a man to paint the rooms in new colours.
It was very difficult to get tickets for her show because everybody wanted to see it, so she decided to give the painter two of the best seats. She hoped that this would make him work better and more willingly for her. He took the tickets without saying anything, and she heard no more about them until the end of the month, when she got the painter’s bill. At the bottom of it were the words “Four hours watching Miss Hall sing and dance,£3,” with this note： “After 5 p.m. I get fifteen shillings an hour instead of ten shillings.”
1. In the article, “Miss Hall” was the name of ______.
A. a place where people sang and danced B. an unmarried woman
C. a hall D. a street
2. The woman’s flat was situated ______.
A. near the city B. near her home
C. in the middle of the city D. by the side of the country road
3. The actress gave the painter two tickets, hoping he would______.
A. be pleased B. ask less money for his work
C. charge more money for his work D. say a good word for her musical show
4. After the painter got the tickets from the actress, he ______.
A. sold them for £3 B. went to watch the musical show
C. paid £3 for them D. was very thankful to her
5. In the story , ______ made a mistake.
A. both the actress and the painter B. neither the actress nor the painter
C. the painter D. the actress
24、（1分）
The basenji is a central African hunting dog. It comes from a country called
As well as being clever, basenjis are known for their natural courage and are still popular hunting dogs in
1. Basenjis were first found .
A. in Africa, Europe and
C. in central Africa D. in
2. What made Basenjis so special?
A. They were funny enough to make people laugh.
B. One of them barked at a dog show in
C. They were a true friend of man.
D. They were born quiet dogs.
3. Americans like basenjis because they are .
A. pleasant B. pretty C. clean D. quiet
4. In what way are basenjis like cats?
A. They make gentle sounds instead of barking.
B. They are fond of people and look like cats.
C. They clean themselves all over.
D. They have short, silky fur.
5. Basenjis are good hunters because they are .
A. strong B. fearless C. the right colour D. the right weight
25、（1分）
阅读理解。
O. Henry was a pen name used by an American writer of short stories. His real name was william Sydney Porter. He was born in
1.In which order did O. Henry do the following things?
a. lived in
(A)e.c.f.b.d.a. (B)c.b.e.d.a.f. (C)e.b.d.c.a.f (D)c.e.b.d.f.a.
2.People enjoyed reading O. Henry’s stories because ____.
(A)they had surprise ending (B)they were easy to understand
(C)they showed his love for the poor (D)they were about
3.O.Henry went to prison because ____.
(A)people thought he had stolen money from the newspaper
(B)people thought he had taken money that was not his
(C)he wanted to write stories about prisoners
(D)he broke the law by not using his own name
4.What do you know about O. Henry before he began writing?
(A)He was well-educated (B)He was very good at learning
(C)he was devoted to the poor (D)He was not serious about his work
5.Where did O. Henry get most material for his short stories?
(A)His life inside the prison (B)The newspaper articles he wrote
(C)The city and people of
26、（1分）
An ape has a larger brain than any animal except man, though it is much smaller than a man’s brain. Apes all belong to the hot countries of the world—tropical
The gorilla is the largest of the apes. He is as tall as six feet when standing upright. Many people think that gorillas are very fierce. They are often described as standing upright like a man, beating their fists and roaring. In their home, in the forests of Cetral Africa, however, they are not at all like this, They are peaceful animals and never use their great strength unless attacked. Even then, they retreat if they can.
Gorillas have black faces and long, black, hairy coats. They feed during the day on plants and fruit. At night the old male often sleeps on the ground at the foot of a tree, while the others each make a sleeping platform in the tree bending the leafy branches. Besides this, gorillas climb trees very seldom.
1. Apes live in .
A. different parts of the world B. the cold countries
C. South America and Africa D. the countries of
2. An ape’s brain is .
A. as large as a man’s brain B. a lot smaller than a man’s brain
C. larger than that of any other animal including man D. a lot larger than a man’s brain
3. A gorilla is about six feet tall when he .
A. stands on his legs B. stand on his arms
C. roars D. uses his great strength
4. All gorillas live on .
A. vegetables B. leaves and grass C. plants and fruit D. rice
5. During the night gorilla usually sleep in trees except .
A. the old female gorilla B. the old male gorilla
C. the young gorillas up to six years old D. the baby gorillas
27、（1分）
Sam and Joe were astronauts. There was once a very dangerous trip and the more experienced astronauts knew there was only a small chance of coming back alive (活着). Sam and Joe, however, thought it would be exciting though a little dangerous. “we’re the best men for the job,” they said to the boss. “There may be problems, but we can find the answers.” “They’re the last people I’d trust,” thought the boss. “But all the other astronauts have refused to go.”
Once they were in space, Joe had to go outside to make some repairs. When the repairs were done, he tried to get back inside the spaceship. But the door was locked. He knocked but there was no answer. He knocked again, louder this time, and again no answer came. Then he hit the door as hard as he could and finally a voice said, “Who’s there?” “It’s me! Who else could it be?” shouted Joe. Sam let him in all right but you can imagine that Joe never asked to go on a trip with Sam again!
1. Most of the astronauts were unwilling to go on a trip because .
A. there was little chance of being selected B. they weren’t experienced enough
C. they thought they might get killed D. it wasn’t exciting enough
2. Why were Sam and Joe chosen?
A. The boss wanted them to get more experience.
B. The boss trusted them more than anyone else.
C. They were the last people who wanted to go.
D. They were the only men who offered to go.
3. What did Sam and Joe think the trip would be like?
A. There would be serious problems . B. There wouldn’t be any danger .
C. It would be long and tiring. D. It would be exciting .
4. Joe didn’t want to work with Sam again probably because he thought Sam .
A. was very slow and possibly deaf B. didn’t know how to operate the door
C. was less experienced than he was D. didn’t know how to do repairs
5. The writer tells this story to .
A. show the dangerous side of the astronauts’ life
B. show the funny side of the astronauts’ life
C. make people laugh
D. make people think
28、（1分）
Moscow, Russia (Space news)—“The computer is a better chess player,” insisted Viktor Prozorov, the loser. “It seemed as if it were laughing after every good move. I know I should have beaten it for the sake of mankind (为人类着想), but I just couldn’t win,” he announced and shook his head sadly.
Prozorov’s disappointment was shared by several grand masters who were present, some of whom were so upset that they shouted at the machine. Many chess players said that this meant the end of chess championships (锦标赛) around the world, since the fun had been taken out of the game.
The computer walked—or rather, rolled—away with 5,000 dollars in prize money and limited its remarks to a set of noises and lights.
1. Which of the following best gives the main idea of this newspaper article?
A. 5,000 dollars goes to a computer ! B. New invention, a laughing computer !
C. World’s best chess player beaten! D. Computer defeats man in chess !
2. How did some of the grand masters feel about the chess game between Prozorov and the computer?
A. They thought that the game was no fun.
B. They thought that the game wasn’t fair.
C. They agreed that Prozorov didn’t play well.
D. They were unhappy that the computer had won.
3. What was it that Prozorov felt most bitter (懊恼) about?
A. That he didn’t win the $ 5,000. B. That he hadn’t tried his best.
C. That he had lost to a machine. D. That this was the end of the chess game.
4. After winning the game, the computer .
A. laughed B. walked away
C. made some remarks D. gave out some lights and sounds
5. Many chess players felt that playing with a computer would .
A. make the game tougher B. make the game less interesting
C. make man appear foolish D. make man lose lots of money
29、（1分）
“I would almost rather see you dead,” Robert S. Cassatt, a leading banker (银行家) of Philadelphia, shouted when his twenty-year-old eldest daughter announced that she wanted to become an artist. In the 19th century, playing at drawing or painting on dishes was all right for a young lady, but serious work in art was not. And when the young lady’s family ranked among (跻身于) the best of Philadelphia’s social (社交界的) families, such an idea could not even be considered.
That was how Mary Cassatt, born 1844, began her struggle as an artist. She did not tremble before her father’s anger. Instead, she opposed (抗拒) him with courage and at last made him change his mind. Mary Cassatt gave up her social position (社会地位) and all thought of a husband and a family, which in those times was unthinkable for a young lady. In the end, after long years of hard work and perseverance (坚持), she became America’s most important woman artist and the internationally recognized leading woman painter of the time.
1. How did Mr. Cassatt react (反应) when his daughter made her announcement?
A. He feared for her life. B. He was very angry.
C. He nearly killed her. D. He warned her.
2. What in fact was Mr. Cassatt’s main reason in opposing his daughter’s wish?
A. Drawing and painting was simply unthinkable among ladies in those days.
B. He did not believe his daughter wanted to work seriously in art.
C. He believed an artist’s life would be too hard for his daughter.
D. Ladies of good families simply did not become artists in those times.
3. What made Mary Cassatt’s “struggle” to become a recognized artist especially hard?
A. She was a woman. B. Her father opposed her.
C. She had no social position. D. She did not come from an artist’s family.
4. What do we know about Mary Cassatt’s marriage (婚姻)?
A. Her marriage failed because she never gave a thought to her husband and family.
B. She never married because she did not want to be just a wife and mother.
C. After marriage she decide to give up her husband rather than her career(事业).
D. She did not marry because for a lady of her social position to marry below her was unthinkable.
5. What do we know about Robert Cassatt’s character from the text?
A. He was a cruel man B. He was a stubborn(固执的) man
C. He knew nothing about art D. He knew little about his daughter
6. What do we know about Mary Cassatt’s character?
A. She was brave in going against old ideas
B. She got tired of always obeying her father
C. She hated playing at drawing and painting
D. She did not mind being poor at all
7. As we learn from the text, which of the following was generally considered the most important in the life of a woman in the
A. Money B. Career C. Marriage D. Courage
30、（1分）
Annealing is a way of making metal softer by heating it and then letting it cool very slowly. If metal is heated and then cooled very quickly, for example by dipping (浸) it in water, it will be very hard but also very brittle (脆) that is, it will break easily. Metal that has been annealed is soft but does not break as easily. It is possible to make metal as hard or as soft as is wished, by annealing it. The metal is heated, and allowed to cool slowly for a certain length of time. The longer the heated metal takes to cool slowly, the softer it becomes. Annealing can also be used on other material, such as glass.
1. Annealing can make metal .
A.hardand tough(韧) B. hard but brittle C. soft but tough D. soft and brittle
2. Why do people put hot metal in water?
A.Tomake it hard B. To make it soft. C. To make it cool. D. To make it brittle.
3. In annealing, the required hardness of a metal depend on .
A. the quantity of water used B. the temperature of the metal
C. the softness of the metal D. the timing of the operation
4. As suggested by the text, how can glass be made less brittle?
A. It can be heated an then cooled quickly. B. It can be cooled and then heated slowly.
C. It can be heated and then cooled slowly. D. It can be cooled and then heated quickly.
31、（1分）
A well-known old man was being interviewed (采访) and was asked if it was correct that he had just celebrated his ninety—ninth birthday.
“That’s right.”said the old man. “Ninety—nine years old, and I haven’t an enemy in the world. They’re all dead.”
“Well, sir,”said the interviewer, “I hope very much to have the honour of interviewing you on your hundredth birthday.”
The old man looked at the yound man closely, and said, “I can’t see why you shouldn’t. You look fit and healthy to me!”
1. The old man said he had not an enemy in the world, which shows that he was a very .
A. friendly man he never made any enemies
B. healthy man he lived longer than all his enemies
C. lucky man his enemies had all died
D. terrible man he had got rid of all his enemies
2. When the interviewer said that he hoped very much to have the honour of interviewing the old man again the following year, .
A. he was trying to make the old man happy
B. he wished he himself would live another year
C. he did not believe the old man would live to be one hundred
D. he did not believe he would interview the old man again
3. When the old man said “I can’t see why you shouldn’t”, what he meant was：
A. “You must try to live another year to interview me again next year.”
B. “Of course, you can see me again since you’re so fit and healthy.”
C. “If I live to a hundred years, you should interview me again.”
D. “Unless you live another year, you wouldn’t be able to interview me again.”
4. What kind of man would you say the old man was?
A. He was silly. B. He was unpleasant.
C. He was very pround and sure of his health. D. He was very impolite to young people.
32、（1分）
Joe and Helen Mills had two small children. One was six and the other four. They always resisted going to bed, and Helen was always complaining (抱怨) about this and asking Joe for help. But as he did not come home until after they had gone, to bed during the week, he was unable to help except at weekends.
Joe considered himself a good singer, but really his voice was not at all musical. However, he decided that, if he sang to the children when they went to bed, it would help them to relax, and they would soon go to sleep.
He did this every Saturday and Sunday night until he heard his small son whispered to his younger sister, “If you pretend that you’re asleep, he stops.”
1. The children always resisted going to bed, which .
A. made Helen suffer a lot B. satisfied their mother
C. Helen was not satisfied with D. gave Helen much trouble
2. The husband couldn’t help the wife to look after the children .
A. because he returned from work too late B. since his voice sounded like a singer’s
C. except on Saturday and Sunday
D. for he did not come home until after the children had gone to bed weekends
3. Joe worked .
A. all the week including Saturday and Sunday
B. during the week including the weekends
C. every day but Saturday and Sunday
D. every week except on Sunday
4. Which of the following conclusions can we draw from the above story?
A. Joe’s song did help the children to relax.
B. With Joe’s help, the children went to sleep.
C. The wife must be thankful to her husband for the great help.
D. The children were so tired of their father’s voice that they pretended to be asleep.
5. This joke tells about .
A. Joe and Helen B. Helen’s trouble
C. Joe’s foolery D. the bright idea of the two small children