高中英语故事类阅读试题

Compassion(同情)is a desire within us to help others．With efforts，we can translate compassion into actions．An experience last weekend showed me this is true．
I work part—time in a supermarket across from a building for the elderly These old people are our main customers，and it’s easy to lose patience over their slowness．But last Sunday，one aged gentleman appeared to teach me a valuable lesson．This untidy marl walked up to my register(收款机)with a box of biscuits．He said he was out of cash，had just moved into his room，and had nothing in his cupboards．He asked if we could let him have the food on trust．He promised to repay me the next day．
I couldn’t help staring at him．I wondered what kind of person he had been ten or twenty years before，and what he would be like if luck had gone his way．I had a hurt in my heart for this kind of human soul，all alone in the world．I told him that I was sorry，and the store rules didn’t allow me to do so．I felt stupid and unkind saying this，but I valued my job .Just then，another man，standing behind the first，spoke up．if anything，he looked more pitiable，“Charge it to me，”was all he said．
What I had been feeling was pity．Pity is soft，safe and easy．Compassion，on the other hand，is caring in action．I thanked the second man but told him that was not allowed，either．Then I reached into my pocket and paid for the biscuits myself I reached into my pocket because these two men had reached into my heart and taught me compassion．
64．The aged gentleman who wanted to buy the biscuits           ．
A．promised to obey the store rules
B．forgot to take any money with him
C．hoped to have the food first and pay later
D．couldn’t afford anything more expensive
65．How did the aged gentleman possibly feel when he was refused by the writer?
A．Warm and lucky．       B．shameful and lonely
C．Thankful and excited   D．Hurt and disappointed．
66．The writer followed the store rules because       ．
A．he wanted to keep his present job
B．he felt no pity for the old gentleman
C．he considered the old gentleman dishonest
D．he expected someone else to pay for the old gentleman
67．What does the writer 1earn from his experience?
A．Wealth is most important．
B．Helping others is easier said than done．
C．Experience is better gained through practice．
D．Compassion shows in actions

The repairman told me, “No charge Professor Pan! We’re friends．” “I’d rather pay,” I replied．“If it’s free, I can’t afford it!”
Chinese often refuse payment for professional services, insisting, "We’re friends now!" But then they show up later to ask me to tutor them in English, or get them into an American university, and I wish I’d have just paid the 30 yuan I owed them in the first place!
According to the Americans, "There’s no free lunch," meaning that there’s a price for everything, and I’m always looking around to figure out what this means．Many of our neighbours have given us fruit or flowers or costly teas, never asking anything in return．For years, a bicycle repairman has repeatedly refused to let me pay him．"Wait until you have something major to fix! "he insists．
I mentioned to a peasant friend that I wished I had a stone mill to grind(磨)flour for bread．A month later he showed up with a beautiful mill that he’d had his uncle in the countryside carve from a solid block of granite(花岗石)．
Chinese generosity(慷慨)is a real education for Americans like me, who would rather avoid social entanglements (纠纷) and just hand over the money．But cash can’t compensate(补偿)for the greatest gift--friendship．
When an American saw some of my friends sitting on bamboo stools under the trees, sipping(呷)tea, he said, "They  must have nothing better to do．""Actually, "I said, "they are professors, with plenty to do．But probably you’re right in saying that, at this moment, they have nothing better to do．And neither do I!" And I joined the group．We chatted about tea and Chinese cooking and how much my boys have grown since we arrived．One man said, "They were pocket-sized when you came here．Now
they’re taller than you．How time flies!"
How life flies．And Chinese are smart enough to share what they know they cannot keep．They freely give of their time, never too busy to help a friend．And they are teaching me, slowly, to both give and receive．So the next time someone says, "No charge．We’re friends! " I will thank them heartily．But if they show up later asking me to tutor them in English, I’ll make sure they tutor my son in Chinese as well, because there’s still no free lunch．
64．The author insisted on paying repairman while he was offered free repairs because he     .
A．was an honest man
B．didn’t know the repairman
C．thought it natural to pay for others’ service
D．didn’t want to help others in return
65．Generally, the author thinks that Chinese are _________．
A．generous and always ready to help their friends
B．good at exchange of equal values
C．free enough to drink tea and chat with their friends
D．helpful but don’t treasure time
66．The best title of the passage should be “       ”.
A．Learn to Both Give And Receive    B．A Good Lesson from Chinese
C．True Help or Not                   D．Still No Free Lunch
67．Which of the following is TRUE?
A．The Chinese would rather not take the money to avoid problems in social communication.
B．When a peasant knew the author needed a mill, he made one for the author himself.
C．The author thinks that Chinese are wise enough to enjoy the limited life.
D．The author thinks little of Chinese way of life.

Jessica Tandy probably is best known for winning an Academy Award in 1989 for the movie Driving Miss Dairy. She was the oldest person to have won the award. But for many years, she had received praise for her great performances.
Jessica Tandy was born in London in 1909. After her father died, her mother taught and took other jobs at night to make extra money to raise her, three children. Jessica’s older brothers showed an interest in the theater and often put on shows at home. Jessica said later that she was terrible in all of them. But she said taking part in those plays as a child created a desire in her to be someone else.
Jessica loved going to the theater. This love led her to attend an acting school in 1924. She performed in her first play called The Manderson Girls at 18. But few people watched this play. In 1932, she married the famous actor Jack Hawkins. Their wedding pictures were on the front page of many British newspapers. In the same year, critics in London recognized her great acting skill in her performance in the play Children in Uniform.
In 1940, Jessica ended her first marriage and moved to the USA. In New York, she met actor Hume Cronyn. Two years later, they married and moved to Hollywood.
Her turning point came in 1947 when she played the lead part in Tennessee Williams’ play A Streetcar Named Desire. Tandy won the first of her four Tony awards for best actress in it. After that Hollywood producers began to choose her to be in the movie.
Jessica Tandy said she hated seeing herself in the movies. She was surprised when she won the Academy Award for Driving Miss Daisy. She said that the wonderful part she had made up for her lack of experience in movies.
68. Jessica’s early interest in acting came from __________.
A. her natural gift for acting                   B. her brothers’ influence
C. her hope of helping raise her family          D. her mother’s encouragement
69. What made Jessica first widely known to the public?
A. Attending an acting school.             
B. Her first play The Manderson Girls.
C. Her marriage with Jack Hawkins.        
D. Her wonderful performance in Driving Miss Daisy.
70. Which is the correct order of the following events?
a. Jessica performed in The Manderson Girls.
b. Jessica married Hume Cronyn
c. Jessica played the lead part in A Streetcar Named Desire.
d. Jessica moved to the USA.
A. a, d, b, c         B. a, b, c, d         C. b, d, a, c          D. b, c, a, d
71. From the last paragraph, we can learn that __________.
A. Jessica wasn’t interested in acting in movies
B. winning the Academy Award was a surprise to Jessica
C. Jessica would perform better if given a better part
D. Jessica was as confident as commonly considered

There is a new take on an old tale．It's the story of the three
little pigs and the big bad wolf that blew down a house made of
straw and one made of sticks．The only house left standing was
the one made of bricks．Now there is new evidence to suggest
that houses built with bales（捆）of straw can be very strong．
Pete Walker is a professor at the University of Bath in Britain．
He and a team of researchers there have built a house made out of straw bale and hemp（大麻） material．During the next twelve months the team will study die effectiveness of these materials in home building．Professor Walker says there are many good reasons for using straw．It's a relatively inexpensive renewable material that's quickly and easily available．Straw takes in carbon dioxide as it grows．So it can be seen as having no harmful effects the environment．And the straw bales walls are relatively thick and so all that straw provides very good thermal insulation．So we make buildings that require very little heating in winter or indeed very little cooling in summer．So they require very little additional energy．
David Lanfear owns an eco-friendly home building service in the United States called Bale on Bale Construction．He says he laughed when some friends first told him about houses built of straw．But after doing his own research, he learned that building with straw bales makes a lot of sense．He has now helped to build more than ten straw bale houses and says the building material is becoming more widely accepted．To build the houses, he fills a wood frame with tightly packed bales of straw．Next he coats the walls inside and out with layers of clay plaster．He says the common ideas about straw houses continue, including stories about the threat of fire．As a matter of fact, straw bale houses have done well when tested for fire resistance．And his builders use the same building methods as traditional builders to keep out rain．He says we use what we call good shoes and a good hat, and that would be a solid foundation and a really good roof．
68．According to the passage, Pete Walker ____．
A．is cooperating with David Lanfear in building houses
B．is pretty sure that straw is a good building material
C．is studying home building with his team at present
D．holds a different view of building materials from David Lanfear
69．If we live in houses built with bales of straw, we ____．
A．will be worried about the threat of fire
B．need to wear good shoes in severe weather
C．can reduce our household expense
D．should use a special method to keep out rain
70．In building straw houses, ____．
A．a solid foundation and a good roof are necessary
B．straw bales have to be tested for fire resistance
C．a wood frame of straw should be used as a good roof
D．builders should wear good shoes and a good hat
71．Which of the following is the best tide of the passage?
A．Houses Made of Straw
B．New Meaning Of an Old Tale
C．Pete Walker and David Lanfear
D．Solid Foundation and Good Roof

To the Editor,
I have been reading your newspaper, the Hometown Gazette, for the past two years, ever since I moved to Smithville. We moved here from New York City, so I am accustomed(习惯的) to reading excellent newspapers such as The New York Times . In fact, we still have the Times delivered on Sundays. The entire family enjoys reading the recipes（食谱） in the magazine, as well as the Styles section.
The Times is great, but the Gazette is another story. I’ve never read an article that doesn’t contain at least three or four spelling or grammatical errors. For instance, in last week’s issue you misspelled the word “secretary”, used a singular verb with a plural noun, and used “it’s” as a possessive (所有格). And that was just in the lead story! In case you never went to elementary school, “it’s” means “it is ”.It’s also a possessive adjective!
It’s a pity that this tiny little hick(乡下) town has only one newspaper, because I’d like to have an alternative(替换物) to the rag you publish. I find it hard to believe your news stories. If you can’t spell correctly. How can you get your facts right?
I’ve been meaning to get this off my chest for some time. Please cancel my subscription(订阅). And buy yourself a dictionary.
Sincerely,
Jane Z, Jones
Which phrase from the passage shows the writer’s prejudice(偏见)?

A．get this off my chest

B．three or four spelling or grammatical errors

C．tiny little hick town

D．reading the recipes in the magazine

The author’s tone in this passage can best be described as                 

A．happy

B．angry

C．sympathetic(同情的)

D．objective

Which statement of the following is not true according to the passage?

A．The writer once lived in New York City, so he was used to reading the Times.

B．The entire family enjoys reading the Styles section in the mafazine.

C．The writer has long been planning to express his dissatisfaction with the local newspaper

D．It is obvious that the editors of the newspaper are not very careful about their work.

Recently, my class went on a three-day trip from Shanghai to Nanjing with only 200 yuan. It was fun and inspiring. We left for Nanjing early in the morning (4:52 a.m. on March 19) by train. Unfortunately, because the tickets were difficult to get, we took the train without seats. The carriage quickly became crowded with students. We stood on the train for over five hours until we arrived at our destination —Nanjing. By that time we all understood how hard it is for migrant workers to return home from a big city.
We had an educational campaign in front of the Memorial Hall to the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders on the first day. We all felt the heavy weight of history as we walked quietly around the Memorial Hall. Relics of the war on display frightened and shocked us. We could imagine how hard life must have been for the Chinese people at that time.
On the second day we were divided into groups of seven to nine students. We were assigned to do research about the city, so we had to visit local people and talk with them. As we were told not to take taxis, we traveled around the city by bus or subway. At the end of the day, we were so tired that no one touched the remote control of the television in our bedroom. However, we were all happy that we had learned to get around a strange city and that we understood Nanjing more.
On the last day we went to Yuhuatai. Some students handed in applications to join the Communist Party there. We learnt about the martyrs(烈士) stories and most of us were impressed by their noble spirits. They sacrificed their lives but they won great respect.
Our three days soon came to an end. Sitting on the train back to Shanhai, we happily shared our adventures in Nanjing. Though we were tired, it was a really meaningful trip.
64. How did the students find their three-day trip in Nanjing?         .
A. It was funny but difficult        B. It was happy but tiring
C. It was tiring and meaningless     D. It was inspiring and meaningful
65. What description is the best for the fourth paragraphs?         .
A. A happy ending.             B. Noble spirits.    
C. A hard beginning.             D. Tough living.
66. What is the right time order during their three-day trip in Nanjing?          .
A. having an educational campaign→doing research→going to Yuhuatai
B. leaving for Nanjing→doing research→going to Yuhuatai
C. having an educational campaign→doing research→sharing adventures
D. getting tickets for traveling→having an educational campaign→going
to Yuhuatai
67. What can we infer from the trip on the first day in Nanjing?        .
A. China’s history in the thirties is miserable
B. The students were too frightened and shocked to go on visiting
C. What hard lives the Chinese people lived
D. Some great Chinese people should be respected

第三部分 阅读理解（共20小题，每小题2分，满分40分）
请认真阅读下列短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项, 并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
The truth in other words
A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: “I am blind, please help.” There were only a few coins in the hat.
A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words.
Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked: “Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?”
The man said: “I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way.”
What he had written was : “Today is a beautiful day but I cannot see it.”
Do you think the first sign and the second sign were saying the same thing?
Of course both signs told people the boy was blind. But the first sign simply told people to help by putting some money in the hat. The second sign told people that they were able to enjoy the day, but the boy could not enjoy it because he was blind.             The first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people they were so lucky that they were not blind.
There are at least two lessons we can learn from this simple story.
The first is : Be thankful for what you have. Someone else has less. Help where you can.
The second is: Be creative. Think differently. There is always a better way!
56. The man wrote some words on one side of the boy’s sign because       .
A. he thought that the blind boy didn’t know how to write
B. he wanted to prove that the boy was really blind
C. he thought that the boy couldn’t get any money
D. he wanted to help the poor blind boy
57. The changed sign worked better than the original one because        .
A. the original sign told people to do things, which people don’t like
B. the second sign made people see their health as a gift, which made them willing to help
C. the original sign pointed out a kind of suffering that people don’t care about at all
D. the second sign drew people’s attention to another problem the boy had
58. We can learn from the story that the man who rewrote the sign was        .
A. creative      B. patient       C. funny      D. curious
59. The story shows us that        .
A. thinking in a different way can get us out of trouble
B. learning to be thankful for what we have may help us to live happier lives
C. creative thinking may bring us better results
D. being kind and respectful will encourage blind people to help themselves

When I was young, I wished for a good car and a big house. That was my idea of success. I took all the advanced classes and tried to do well in the exams with my mind set on going to a key school. I just knew that I would somehow become famous and be able to afford the car and the dream house. All the way through junior years, my mind was planning this beautiful future.
Then in the eleventh grade, many losses changed my mind. First, one of my friends died at 16. Soon after, my great-grandmother passed away, followed by my beloved fourth-grade teacher. These events left me not knowing what to do or where to go . Death had never touched me so closely.
After a long period of emptiness, it finally struck me: Life is not promised and neither is future success. Though I was attempting to achieve material success, I was not enjoying my daily life. I realized that finding inner peace, purpose and happiness will stick with me forever and that is real success.
Enjoying life's precious quirks ( 偶发事件 ) makes an ordinary person more successful than a wealthy person who isn't content and takes everything for granted. The summer before senior years, my attitude changed greatly. Instead of memorizing facts, I began learning skills. Instead of focusing on the future, I focused on today and the many blessings and successes that came with it.
I still get excellent grades, but now I devote weeks to studying instead of struggling for exams, and I think about the future with a deeper sense of meaning. For me, being successful means truly living life each day.
The reason why the author changed his idea of success is that ________ .       

A．he can't afford his house

B．his beloved teacher was dead

C．he didn't know what to do or where to go

D．he lost a few beloved persons in a short time

According to the author which of the following is the real success for a person?

A．Being famous.	B．Truly living life each day.
C．Good car and big house.	D．Material achievements.

What does the author want to tell the readers?

A．The true meaning of the life.	B．The true meaning of studying.
C．How to achieve success.	D．His opinion about success.

According to the passage, which of the following is true?

A．The writer thinks that success is not promised.

B．His teacher died before the death of his grandpa.

C．The writer didn't do well in all the exams.

D．He didn't want to take all the exams.

It was the first snow of winter- an exciting day for every child but not for most teacher. UP until now, I had been able to dress myself for recess (课间休息), but today I would need some help. Miss Finlayson, my kindergarten teacher at Princess Elizabeth School near Hamilton, Ontario, had been through first snow days many times in her long career, but I think she may still remember this one.
I managed go get into my wool snow pants. But I struggled with my jacket because it didn’t fit well. It was a hand-me-down from my brother, and it made me wonder why I had to wear his ugly clothes. At least my hat and matching scarf were mine, and they were quite pretty. Finally it was time to have Miss Finlayson help me with my boots. In her calm, motherly voice she said, “By the end of winter, you will be able to put on your own boots.” I didn’t realize at the time that this was more a statement of hope than of confidence.
I handed her my boots and stuck out my foot. Like most children, I expected the adult to do all the work. After much wiggling and pushing, she managed to get first one into place and then, with a sigh, worked the second one on too.
I announced, “They’re on the wrong feet.” With the grace that only experience can bring, she struggled to get the boots off and went through the joyless task of putting them on again. Then I said, “These aren’t my boots, you know.” As she pulled the offending boots from my feet, she still managed to look both helpful and interested. Once they were off, I said, “They are my brother’s boots. My mother makes me wear them, and I hate them!” Somehow, from long years of practice, she managed to act as though I wasn’t an annoying little girl. She pushed and shoved, less gently this time, and the boots were returned to their proper place on my feet. With a great sigh if relief, seeing the end of her struggle with me, she asked, “Now, where are your gloves?”
I looked into her eyes and said, “I didn’t want to lose them, so I put them into the toes of my boots.”
39. According to the passage, the little girl got ______ from her brother.
A. the wool snow pants and the jacket      B. the jacket and the boots
C. the jacket and the hat                 D. the boots and the gloves
40. What made it so hard for the teacher to help the little girl put her boots on?
A. The gloves in the toes of the boots.      B. The slowness of the teacher.
C. The wrong size of the boots            D. The unwillingness of the girl
41. It can be inferred that before the little girl finally went out to enjoy the first snow of winter, the teacher had to help her put on her boots______ .
A. once      B. twice      C. three times     D. four times
42. Which of the following sentences from the text BEST indicates that the teacher is very considerate?
A. In her calm, motherly voice she, “By the end of winter,…”(Paragraph 2)
B. With the grace that only experience can bring, she struggled to…(Paragraph 4)
C. …she still managed to look both helpful and interested. (Paragraph 4)
D. …she managed to act as though I wasn’t an annoying little girl. (Paragraph 4)

An Australian 3-year-old was described as a hero after saving his mum from an almost certain death by calling emergency services right after she collapsed(because of an epileptic attack (癫痫发作).
Aiden McDonald amazed the doctors who arrived at Jeanine McDonald’s house 10 minutes after Aiden called 000. The boy was very calm and spoke to the doctors as his mother got into an unconscious state.
Sasha Lewis took the strange call and sent out an ambulance immediately. Aiden answered questions during the 19-minute call that made it clear it was a serious matter.
Lewis said: “He sounded worried and was telling me things like ‘Mummy is not awake’, so I got an idea that it was a fairly serious matter.”
This is part of the “conversation” they had:
“Can I talk to Mummy please?”
“Mummy’s not well.”
“How old are you, sweetheart?”
“I got a clock.”
“Can I talk to Mummy?”
“I can’t get my Mummy.”
“Where is she?”
“On the floor. Mummy’s had a fit （昏厥）.”
“Do you live in Kallangur?”
“We’ve got milk in the fridge and, um, (pause) I can’t find the ambulance (crying), Mummy, Mum ... Mum ... Mum ...”
Mrs McDonald, who was making a cup of tea when she collapsed, was taken to hospital and allowed to leave the same night. “After hearing what he did I thought, no, that can’t be right,” Jeanine McDonald said. “But I’m so proud.”
72. In Australia, people will call 000 when they _____.
A. are diagnosed with a serious illness
B. are looking for a job
C. need emergency help in the event of health problem
D. need to find someone to take care of their children
73. Why did Sasha Lewis talk with Aiden on the phone so long?
A. She tried to comfort Aiden and calm him down.
B. She tried to get as much information as possible.
C. Aiden was too slow in speaking on the phone.
D. Aiden was too nervous to describe what was happening.
74. Jeanine McDonald received medical help about _____ after she suddenly became unconscious.
A. 10 minutes    B. 20 minutes           C. 30 minutes      D. one hour
75. The most useful lesson that parents learn from the story is that _____.
A. it’s important to teach children to respond properly in serious situations
B. it’s important to teach children to use the phone
C. they should build a parent-child relationship based on love and trust
D. they should believe that children have the abilities to solve their own problems

第三部分 阅读理解（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
阅读下列段文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。
A poor traveller stopped under the tree to eat the boiled rice and vegetables which he had brought with him. A few metres away, there was a small shop by the side of the road where a woman was frying (油炸)fish and selling it to travelers. The woman watched the poor traveler carefully, and when he finished his food and began to go, she shouted rudely, “You haven’t paid me for the fried fish!”
“But I have not had any fried fish!” he said.
“But everyone can see that you enjoyed the smell of my fried fish with your rice and vegetables,” said the woman, “If you had not smelled the fish, your meal would not have been so pleasant!”
Soon a crowd collected, and although they supported the poor traveler, they had to admit that wind was blowing from the shop to the place where he had eaten, and that it had carried the smell of the fried fish to him.
Finally, the woman took the poor traveler to a judge, who said, “The woman says that the traveler ate his meal with the smell of her fried fish. The traveler agrees that the wind was blowing from the woman’s shop to the place where he ate his rice and vegetables, and that it carried the smell of her fried fish to his nose while he was eating, so he must pay for it. What does your fried fish cost?” he asked the woman.
“Twenty-five cents a plate,” she answered, delighted.
“Then go outside together,” said the judge. “There the traveler must hold up a twenty-five-cent piece so that its shadow（影子）falls on the woman’s hand. The price of the smell of a plate of fried fish is the shadow of twenty-five cents.”
51. The traveler refused to pay the woman for the fried fish because       .
A. he was poor                                                 B. he was rude
C. he was supported by a crowd                  D. he hadn’t eaten her fried fish at all
52. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
A. The traveler bought the boiled rice and vegetables and ate them by the side of the road.
B. The judge had no idea what the woman meant.
C. In the fifth paragraph, the first “it” has the same meaning as the second “it”.
D. The woman got nothing but the shadow of twenty-five cents in the end.
53. The best title for the passage should be       .
A. The Smell and the Shadow
B. A Poor Traveler
C. A Rude Woman
D. A Woman and a Traveler

Have you ever heard the story of the four-minute miles? Many years ago, people believed that it was impossible for a human being to run a mile in less than four minutes until Roger Banister proved it wrong in 1954.
What happens if you put an animal in a pond? Any animal, big or small, will swim its way through. What happens when someone, who doesn’t know how to swim, falls in deep water? They drown. If an animal who has not learnt swimming could escape by swimming, why not you? Because you believe you will drown while the animal doesn’t.
Have you ever wondered why the letters are organized in a particular order on your keyboard? You might have thought it is to increase the typing speed. Most people never questioned it. But the fact is that this system was developed to reduce the typing speed at a time when typewriter parts you jam if the operator typed too fast.
These three cases show the power of our beliefs. There is no other more powerful force in human behavior than belief. Your beliefs have the power to create and to destroy. A belief delivers command to your nervous system.
I used a snake in my workshop for children to show them how unrealistic some of their beliefs are. Students of a school in India said snakes are slippery and slimy and poisonous. After doing an exercise for changing beliefs, they took my snake and found it to be dry and clean. They also remembered that only three types of poisonous snakes exist in India.
Did this story end the way you thought? Review your beliefs now and find out which ones you need to change.
60．In the author’s opinion, if a person in deep water doesn’t know how to swim, he will drown because_________.
A．he is afraid of water               B．he believes he will drown
C．he hasn’t learnt to swim before      D．he doesn’t want to live in the world
61．The author thinks that the letters are organized in a particular order on your keyboard in order to _________.
A．save more space                  B．satisfy the operator
C．reduce one’s typing speed           D．increase one’s typing speed
62．The author’s experiment shows that________.
A．snakes are dry and clean            B．snakes can be caught easily
C．snakes are slimy and poisonous      D．snakes in India aren’t poisonous
63．According to the passage, we know that_________
A．students from India have unrealistic beliefs on how to live a better life 
B．an animal who hasn’t learnt how to swim will drown if you put it in pond
C．most people don’t like the order the letters are arranged on the keyboard
D．Roger Banister was the first person who ran a mile in less than four minutes
64. The main idea of this passage should be that________.
A. beliefs are very powerful           
B. beliefs make us seem stupid
C. changing your beliefs now is necessary
D. people should always believe in themselves

One of the most popular American singers of the twentieth century was Elvis Presley. He made the rock ”n” roll music popular all over the world, He sold millions of records and made many successful films, and he helped change the direction of popular music in the 1960s.
Elvis Presley was born in a poor family in 1935, His parents were simple country people who often took him to church, where he learned to sing, and he never forgot the kind of songs that he used to sing in church as a child.
When he was young, Elvis moved from Toledo to Memphis in Tennessee, where he attended high school, but he was not a good student, His only real interest was singing. He began to sing in the style that is called “country and western”.
In 1955 he recorded some songs for his mother’s birthday. The people at the recording studio liked his singing and his music. It was country and western music, but it also sounded a little like the music which black people used to sing in the American South. It was called “blues”.
Shortly after that, Elvis met Tom Parker, who became his manager and arranged (安排) concerts for him across the United States and new recordings as well. Soon Elvis became famous around the country. Later Elvis went to Hollywood and began to appear in films such as Love Me Tender and King Creole.
But Elvis found it difficult to live with success. Like many other famous people, He began to take drugs and his health started to suffer. When he died at an early age of 42 in 1977,his many millions of fans were shocked, “The King Is Dead!” the newspaper said, But today his memory and his music live on and will always be remembered as the King of Rock “n” roll.
66. From the passage, we can see________________.
A. the church songs didn’t help Elvis develop his own style
B. Elvis forgot his church music at a later age
C. Elvis didn’t get any help from his parents
D. the church songs helped Elvis’ development in his singing
67. Who was Tom Parker?
A. A manager of a bank                             B. A famous singer
C. Elvis’ manager                                      D. Elvis’ best friend since childhood
68. What caused Elvis’ death?
A. His singing too much                                   B. His taking the drugs
C. His parent’s death                                  D. Tom Parker’s help
69. What was Elvis’ music style like most?
A. Only country and western
B. Only country and blues
C. Both western and church music
D. Not only country and western but also a bit “blues”
70. Which is the right order of Elvis’ life?
a. Elvis learned to sing at church
b. Elvis gave concerts all across America
c. Elvis recorded some songs for his mother’s birthday
d. Tom Parker became his manager
e. Elvis went to high school in Memphis
f. Elvis was born in Toledo
A. f; a; e; c; d; b                                       B. f; a; c; e; d; b
C. f; e; a; d; b; c                                        D. f; e; a; c; d; b

I was in a rush as always, but this time it was for an important date I just couldn’t be late for! I found myself at a checkout counter behind an elderly woman seemingly in no hurry as she paid for her groceries. A PhD student with not a lot of money, I had hurried into the store to pick up some flowers. I was in a huge rush, thinking of my upcoming evening. I did not want to be late for this date.
We were in Boston, a place not always known for small conversation between strangers. The woman stopped unloading her basket and looked up at me. She smiled. It was a nice smile—warm and reassuring—and I returned her gift by smiling back.
“Must be a special lady, whoever it is that will be getting those beautiful flowers,” she said.
“Yes, she’s special,” I said, and then to my embarrassment, the words kept coming out. “It’s only our second date, but somehow I am just having the feeling she’s ‘the one’.” Jokingly, I added, “The only problem is that I can’t figure out why she’d want to date a guy like me.”
“Well, I think she’s very lucky to have a boyfriend who brings her such lovely flowers and who is obviously in love with her,” the woman said. “My husband used to bring me flowers every week—even when times were tough and we didn’t have much money. Those were incredible days; he was very romantic and –of course—I miss him since he’s passed away.”
I paid for my flowers as she was gathering up her groceries. There was no doubt in my mind as I walked up to her. I touched her on the shoulder and said, “You were right, you know. These flowers are indeed for a special lady.” I handed her the flowers and thanked her for such a nice conversation.
It took her a moment to realize that I was giving her the flowers I had just bought. “Have a wonderful evening,” I said. I left her with a big smile and my heart warmed as I saw her smelling the beautiful flowers.
I remember being slightly late for my date that night and telling my girlfriend the story. A couple of years later, when I finally worked up the courage to ask her to marry me, she told me that this story had helped to seal it for her—that was the night that I won her heart.
61. Why was the writer in a hurry that day?
A. He was to meet his girlfriend.            B. He had to go back to school soon.
C. He was delayed by an elderly lady.        D. He had to pick up some groceries.
62. What does the underlined phrase “her gift” (Paragraph 2) refer to?
A. Her words.           B. Her smile.        C. Her flowers.       D. Her politeness.
63. Why did the writer give his flowers to the elderly lady?
A. She told him a nice story.             B. She allowed him to pay first.
C. She gave him encouragement.        D. She liked flowers very much.
64. Which of the following is Not True?
A. Strangers in Boston seldom have small conversations.
B. The girlfriend was very angry because the writer was late.
C. The old lady’s husband has passed away.
D. The writer and his girlfriend got married at last.
65. What is the message conveyed in the story?
A. Flowers are important for a date.            
B. Small talk is helpful.
C. Love and kindness are rewarding (有回报的).      
D. Elderly people deserve respecting.

Ⅳ、阅读理解（共20题，每题2分，共40分）
Kerry and Alice were both artists in Britain. They taught drawing and painting at Cambridge University. Although they were friends, each thought oneself to be the better painter.
One day, Kerry promised marriage to Alice. Surprised and pleased by the offer, the girl was not sure whether she would spend her future as a wife or a painter. After a moment she replied as follows, "Each of us must paint a picture. If yours is superior to mine, you can make me your wife. If not, please drop the question." Then it was decided to give it the following day.
The next morning. Alice hung her picture on the gate. It showed a bunch of flowers and won high praise from everyone who passed by. In fact, a crowd collected in front of her masterpiece and fixed eyes on it.
Several hours passed. Then Kerry was seen coming along to the gate with what appeared to be a beautiful leather suitcase in his hand. When he finally stopped before Alice, the girl artist brushed like a rose and agreed to marry him without any hesitation. Why?
71．What did Alice think Kerry's offer?
A. She liked Kerry, but she didn't expect him to promise marriage to her.
B. She didn't want to marry anybody.
C. She didn't like it at all.
D. She thought the offer wasn't polite.
72．In the sentence "If yours is superior to mine, you can make me your wife"。 "superior to" here means ____.
A. not so better than      B. better than           C. as bad as     D. as good as
73. Which of the following is true?
A. Kerry didn't accept Alice's suggestion.
B. Kerry wasn't sure of his painting so he dropped his offer.
C. Kerry did go the next day, but he failed to take a picture
D. Kerry agreed to Alice's suggestion.
74．Alice's picture won high praise because ____.
A. it was true to nature                      
B. the flowers were red
C. it showed so large a bunch of flowers 
D. people felt it strange to hang it on the gate
75．The "leather suitcase" was in fact ____.
A. a real one                    B. a painting drawn by Kerry
C. a box with a picture in it        D. made up of leather