高中英语故事类阅读试题

Heather Mills McCartney lives an admirable life, attending celebrity parties, meeting regularly with the rich and famous and doing meaningful work for charity. All who work with her admire and respect her. But Heather’s life hasn’t always been so easy. When Heather was only 9 years old, her mother abandoned her and her two brothers. At the age of 13, she ran away from home and ended up living on the streets in London. Eventually, however, her exceptional beauty led to a career in modeling. At that time, Heather also began helping with the war relief efforts in former Yugoslavia. Through her modeling and relief work, she soon became famous.
But in August 1993, at age 25 her life changed once again. She was crossing the street in London when a motorcycle crashed into her. She was so badly injured that the doctors had to cut off her left leg. After that, she discovered she frequently needed to change her artificial limbs. It was expensive and she felt it was a waste to just throw away the old one. It occurred to her to set up an organization that could deliver used artificial limbs to Yugoslavia and other war-torn countries. It was through her charity （慈善）work that she met her husband Paul McCartney.
Throughout her life, Heather has risen above problems and focused on helping others. Her work with artificial limbs even earned her a nomination(提名) for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996. Heather’s persistence and determination are what impresses anyone who knows her. Heather believes anyone can make a positive difference in the world.
This passage is mainly about _________.

A．Heather’s miserable life	B．Heather’s contribution to the world
C．Heather’s success in her work	D．Heather’s belief in life

Heather began her modeling career _________.

A．due to her mother’s encouragement

B．after her brothers abandoned her

C．because of her excellent intelligence and performances

D．because she was especially beautiful

Which of the following is Not true according to the passage?

A．Heather won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996.

B．Heather began her charity work while working as a model.

C．Her artificial limbs had to be replaced continuously.

D．Heather has never been defeated by her problems.

From the passage we can infer that people admire and respect Heather because _________.

A．she had a lot of misfortunes during her childhood.

B．she was a world-famous model

C．she is determined and never gives in

D．she made a great difference in the world

Charles Dickens (1812-1870), the great nineteenth century English novelist, was born near Portsmouth. His father ran heavily into debt and when he was twelve, he had to go and work in a factory for making boot polish. The only formal education he received was a two-year schooling at a school for poor children. In fact, he had to teach himself all he knew. He worked for a time as junior clerk in a lawyer's office. After that, he worked as a reporter in the law courts, and later in parliament, for London newspapers. His career as a writer of fiction began in 1833 with short stories and essays in periodicals, and in 1837 his comic novel The Pickwick Papers made him the most popular author at his time in England.
　　He was a great observer of people and their places because he was attracted by life and conditions in mid-nineteenth century London. He wrote 19 novels all his life and in many of them, Dickens gave a realistic picture of all classes of England society, showing deep sympathy for the poor and unfortunate, exposing the injustice and inhumanity（不人道） of the bourgeoisie（布尔乔亚阶级）.
　　Many of his novels like Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Nicholas Nickleby, Great Expectations, A Tale of Two Cities and so on drew attention to the unsatisfactory social conditions that existed in England over a hundred years ago.
　　Dickens criticized capitalist society from the point of view of bourgeois humanism. He wished to see improvement in the living conditions of the poor, but failed to find any effective means to achieve that end.
Dickens only received a little formal education because______.

A．he wanted to teach himself

B．he wanted to work and made a lot of money

C．he was too poor to afford any more formal education

D．he wanted some working experiences to be a novelist

According to Dickens, the society at his time in England was________.

A．just

B．poor

C．comfortable

D．unsatisfying

Which of the following novel made Dickens the most popular writer at his time in England?

A．Oliver Twist	B．The Pickwick Papers
C．A Tale of Two Cities	D．Great Expectations

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

A．He didn't go to school at all.

B．He only wrote about poor people and showed deep sympathy for them.

C．He began to write fictions when he was 21 years old.

D．He found some effective ways to improve the living conditions of the poor.

It can be inferred from the passage that________.

A．Dickens had a miserable childhood

B．Dickens tried many different jobs before he became a professional writer

C．Dickens wrote many novels but only some of them are popular

D．Dickens criticized capitalist society and helped to improve the living conditions of the poor

On May 23,1989, Stefania Follini came out from a cave at Carlsbad , New Mexico．She hadn’t seen the sun for eighteen and a half weeks ．Stefania was in a research program, and the scientists in the program were studying body rhythms （节奏）。In this experiment Stefania had spent 130 days in a cave ,30 feet in depth．
During her time in the cave, Stefania had been completely alone except for two white mice．Her living place had been very comfortable ,but there had been nothing to feel her the time ．She’d had no clock or watches , no television or radio．There had been no natural light and the temperature had always been kept at 21℃
Stefania stayed in the cave for a long time because___________．

A．she was asked to do research on mice

B．she wanted to experience loneliness

C．she was the subject of a study

D．she needed to record her life

What is a cause for the change of Stefania’s body clock?

A．Eating fewer hours

B．Having more hours of sleep

C．Lacking physical exercise．

D．Getting no natural light．

Where does the text probably come from?

A．A novel．	B．A news story．
C．A pet magazine ．	D．A travel guide．

A traveller was staying in an Egyptian village. One day, she held up her camera to take pictures of the children. Suddenly the young ones began to shout at her. The traveller's face turned red and she apologized to the head for what she was doing, and told him she had forgotten that people in some places believed a person would lose his soul(灵魂) if his picture was taken. She explained to him the operation of a camera for a long time. Several times the head tried to say something, but he couldn't. When she believed that the head didn't fear any longer, the traveller then let him speak. With a smile, he said, "The children were trying to tell you that you forgot to take off the lens(镜头) cap!"
The children shouted when the traveller was taking pictures of them because ______.

A．they didn't want to stop playing

B．the traveller forgot to take off the cap on her head

C．they didn't want to have their pictures taken

D．the traveller was not doing well with her camera

The traveller made an apology to (向……道歉) the head because _______.

A．she thought it was not right to take people's pictures without telling them beforehand(事先)

B．the children would lose their souls

C．she had stayed in the village too long

D．she didn't take a picture of the head first

The traveller explained how to use a camera to the head because _______.

A．the head was very interested in her camera

B．the head wanted to learn to take pictures

C．she was afraid of the head

D．she wanted the head not to worry about what she was doing

When the head smiled, it's clear that _______ .

A．the children wanted to play with her

B．the traveller didn't know what the children meant

C．he wanted the traveller to tell him something else

D．the traveller didn't let him speak

Which of the following is NOT right?

A．The traveller knew something about people in some countries.

B．The children wouldn't mind if the traveller took pictures of them.

C．The head was afraid that the traveller's camera would hurt the children.

D．The traveller didn't understand why the children shouted.

Goldie’s Secret
She turned up at the doorstep of my house in Cornwall. No way could I have sent her away. No way, not me anyway. Maybe someone had kicked her out of their car the night before. "We’re moving house.’; "No space for her any more with the baby coming." "We never really wanted her, but what could we have done? She was a present." People find all sorts of excuses for abandoning an animal. And she was one of the most beautiful dogs I had ever seen.
I called her Goldie. If I had known what was going to happen I would have given her a more creative name. She was so unsettled during those first few days. She hardly ate anything and had such an air of sadness about her. There was nothing I could do to make her happy, it seemed. Heaven knows what had happened to her at her previous owner’s. But eventually at the end of the first week she calmed down. Always by my side, whether we were out on one of our long walks or sitting by the fire.
That’s why it was such a shock when she pulled away from me one day when we were out for a walk. We were a long way from home, when she started barking and getting very restless. Eventually I couldn’t hold her any longer and she raced off down the road towards a farmhouse in the distance as fast as she could.
By the time I reached the farm I was very tired and upset with Goldie. But when I saw her licking (舔) the four puppies (幼犬) I started to feel sympathy towards them. "We didn’t know what had happened to her," said the woman at the door. "I took her for a walk one day, soon after the puppies were born, and she just disappeared." "She must have tried to come back to them and got lost," added a boy from behind her.
I must admit I do miss Goldie, but I’ve got Nugget now, and she looks just like her mother. And I’ve learnt a good lesson: not to judge people.
How did the author feel about Goldie when Goldie came to the house?

A．Shocked.

B．Sympathetic.

C．Annoyed.

D．Upset.

In her first few days at the author’s house, Goldie ______.

A．felt worried

B．was angry

C．ate a little

D．sat by the fire

Goldie rushed off to a farmhouse one day because she ______.

A．saw her puppies	B．heard familiar barking
C．wanted to leave the author	D．found her way to her old home

The passage is organized in order of ______.

A．time

B．effectiveness

C．importance

D．complexity

A young man was getting ready to graduate from college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer's showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted.
As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car. Finally, on the morning of his graduation, his father called him into his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautiful wrapped gift box. Curious, but somewhat disappointed, the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible, with the young man's name embossed in gold. Angrily, he raised his voice to his father and said, "With all your money you give me a Bible?" He then stormed out of the house, leaving the Bible.
Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had a beautiful home and a wonderful family, but realizing his father was very old, he thought perhaps he should go to see him. He had not seen him since that graduation day. Before he could make the arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and take care of things.
When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to search through his father's important papers and saw the still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago. With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. As he was reading, a car key dropped from the back of the Bible. It had a tag with the dealer's name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words. "PAID IN FULL".
How many times do we miss blessings because they are not packaged as we expected? Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; but remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.
Sometimes we don't realize the good fortune we have or we could have because we expect "the packaging" to be different. What may appear as bad fortune may in fact be the door that is just waiting to be opened.
According to the passage we can infer that _________.

A．the author’s father was once very rich.

B．the author’s father didn’t love him.

C．the author’s father had not enough money to buy a run car.

D．the author’s thought was wildly unrealistic.

When author graduated from his school, his father sent him _________.

A．a beautiful run car	B．a new leather-bound Bible
C．a gift he hoped for	D．only an empty box

After graduation, author _________ before his father died.

A．often went to see his father	B．had never gone home
C．went home once in the while	D．always contacted his father by phone

The passage can imply that _________.

A．Good fortune lies within bad, bad fortune lurks within good.

B．The author’s father didn’t understand his child.

C．where there is a will, there is a way.

D．Every man is the son of his own works.

One fine day, an old couple around the age of 70, walks into a lawyer's office. Apparently, they are there to file a divorce. Lawyer was very puzzled, after having a chat with them, he got their story.
This couple had been quarreling all their 40 years of marriage nothing ever seems to go right. They hang on because of their children, afraid that it might affect their up-bringing. Now, all their children have already grown up, have their own family, there's nothing else the old couple have to worry about, all they wanted is to lead their own life free from all these years of unhappiness from their marriage, so both agree on a divorce.
While they were signing the papers, the wife told the husband. “I really love you, but I really can't carry on anymore, I'm sorry.” "It's OK, I understand." said the husband. Little did she know that, over the years, the husband has been trying all ways to please her, little did she know that drumsticks were the husband's favorite. Little did he know that she never thought he understands her at all, little did he know that she hates drumsticks even though all he wants is the best for her.
That night, both of them couldn't sleep, toss and turn, toss and turn. After hours, the old man couldn't take it anymore, he knows that he still loves her, and he can't carry on life without her, he wants her back, he wants to tell her, he is sorry, he wants to tell her, "I love you." He picked up the phone, started dialing her number. Ringing never stops. He never stops dialing.
On the other side, she was sad, she couldn't understand how come after all these years, he still doesn't understand her at all, she loves him a lot, but she just can't take it any more. Phone's ringing, she refuses to answer knowing that it's him. "I want to keep it this way, if not I will lose face. "She thought. Phone is still ringing. She has decided to pull out the cord. Little did she remember, he had heart problems.
The next day, she received news that he had passed away. She rushed down to his apartment, saw his body, lying on the couch still holding on to the phone. He had a heart attack when he was still trying to get through(接通) her phone line.
The old couple wanted to file a divorce because __________.

A．they had no child.	B．their children didn’t like them.
C．they didn’t understand each other actually.	D．the old man didn’t love the old woman.

Why didn’t they file a divorce before they were at the age of 70?

A．Because they were loving each other then.

B．Because they had no time to lawyer’s office.

C．Because they wanted to make their divorce open.

D．Because they didn’t wish to affect their children’s up-bringing.

According to the passage we can know that ______.

A．the old man still loved his wife really.	B．the wife didn’t love her husband at all.
C．their children still lived with old couple.	D．they were in harmony over 40 years.

After the last paragraph the old woman would be _______.

A．wild with joy

B．wild with grief

C．unconcern about it

D．angry at that

It was a Sunday and the heavy storm had lasted all night. The morning after the storm, though, was beautiful: blue skies, warm air and a calm, inviting sea touching the shore gently.
My father realized it was a good day for fishing and invited my sister and me to go with him. I was only 14 and fishing had never been my thing, but I decided to go all the same. I’ m so glad I did.
On the way to the harbor we could see the terrible destruction on the coast, but the harbour itself was in fairly good shape．After all, it was protected by the arms of a bay that had only one tiny channel to the sea. As we got on board, we noticed two big humps(脊背) in the distance.
On approaching them, we saw it was a mother whale with her baby. We couldn’t believe it — there weren’t any whales along the coast here. The storm must have driven them across the ocean into the bay, in which the still water was so badly polluted that nothing could survive.
The little baby whale—actually as big as our boat—was obviously stuck and could not move. The mother dived under the water and came up suddenly, making big whirlpools（漩涡） and waves. "She’s trying to help her baby, but on the wrong side," my father said. At this point, my father moved our boat in a semicircle to the other side and, heading the boat towards the baby whale, pushed it gently. With our several gentle pushes the big hump turned over and disappeared under water. Then it swam up right beside its mum. They struggled in their desperate attempts to escape but missed the exit and started heading in the wrong direction. We hurried up to the whales and tried to lead them towards the bay channel. Slowly, they let us lead them, sometimes rising from the water right beside us to breathe—and to give us a trusting look with those huge eyes. Once they hit their first part of clean water flowing straight from the sea, the mum gave us a wave with her tail and off. They swam into the distance.
In the excitement it had felt like only a few minutes, but we had been with those wonderful animals for almost an hour and a half. That was the simple and lasting beauty of the day. Nearly four decades later, I still look back fondly to that golden day at sea.
In Para2 the author says "I’ m so glad I did." because _________.

A．he witnessed the whole process of fishing

B．he enjoyed the beauty of the calm sea

C．he experienced the rescue of the whales

D．he spent the weekend with his family

The mother whale failed to help her baby because __________.

A．she had stayed in the polluted water for too long

B．the whirlpools she had made were not big enough

C．she had no other whales around to turn to for help

D．the waves pushed her baby in the wrong direction

What is the theme of the story?

A．Saving lives brings people a sense of happiness.

B．Fishing provides excitement for children.

C．It’s necessary to live in harmony with animals.

D．It’s vital to protect the whale in the ocean.

Hemingway(1898~1961) was born in Illinois. His family took him, as a boy, hunting and fishing trips and so made him know early the kinds of virtues, such as courage and endurance (忍耐), which were later shown in his stories. After high school, he worked as a newspaper reporter and then went abroad to take part in World War I. After the war, he lived for several years in Paris. It was not long before he began publishing remarkable short stories. In the year he left Paris he published the powerful novel The Sun Also Rises. His subjects were often war and its effects on people, or contests, such as hunting or bullfighting, which demand endurance and courage.
Hemingway’s style of writing is striking. His sentences are short, his words are simple, yet they are often filled with feelings. A careful reading can show us, further more, that we see how the action of his stories continue during the silence, during the times his character say nothing. This action is often full of meaning. There are times when the most powerful effect comes from restraint(克制). Such times happen often in Hemingway’s writings. He perfected the art of expressing excitement with few words.
Which of the following was written by Hemingway?

A．The Old Man and the Sea.	B．The Ugly Duckling.
C．The Daughter of the Sea.	D．The Gifts.

Hemingway’s short stories were first published_______.

A．before World War I.	B．during World War I.
C．after World War I.	D．in the year before he left Pairs.

What do you know about Hemingway as a boy from the article?

A．He was very brave and bright.

B．He liked writing short stories.

C．He often went hunting and fishing.

D．He was good at hunting and fishing.

Why is Hemingway’s style of writing striking?

A．Because his words are short.

B．Because his sentences are simple.

C．Because his writings are filled with feelings.

D．Because he is a master of the pause.

I was very disappointed not to be able to go to the jazz concert last Friday. The announcement in the paper said that you could buy tickets at the theater box office in Richland Hills any day between 10:00 and 4:00. Since I work from 9 o’clock to 5:30, the only time I could go to the theater was during my 45-minute lunch break. Unfortunately, the theater is on the other side of the town, and the bus service between my office and Richland Hills is not very good. But if you are lucky, you can make the round trip in 45 minutes. Last Monday, I stood at the bus stop for fifteen minutes waiting for a bus. By the time I saw one come around the corner, there was not enough time left to make the trip—so I gave up and went back to the office. The same thing happened on Tuesday, and again on Wednesday. On Thursday, my luck changed. I got on a bus right away and arrived at the theatre in exactly twenty minutes. When I got there, however, I found a long line of people at the box office. I heard one man say he had been waiting in line for over an hour. Realizing I would not have enough time to wait in line, I caught the next bus and headed back across the town. By Friday I realized my only hope was to make the trip by taxi. It was expensive, but I felt it would be worth hearing the concert. The trip by taxi only took 10 minutes, but it felt like an hour to me. When I got to the theatre, I was relieved to see that nobody was waiting in line. The reason, I quickly discovered, was that they had already sold all the tickets.
The writer is probably ______.

A．a worker	B．a college teacher
C．a boss of a company	D．a secretary

He learned ______ that there would be a concert last Friday.

A．from his friends	B．from one of his colleagues
C．over the radio	D．from the newspaper

He could go and buy the ticket ______.

A．any day before work hours	B．both before and after work hours
C．only during lunch time	D．on Saturday and Sunday

The word “relieved” in the last two sentences may best be replaced by “______”.

A．surprised

B．pleased

C．puzzled

D．sorry

   The story is about ______.

A．a good concert

B．someone enjoying a good concert

C．someone trying to buy concert tickets for his friends

D．someone failing to buy the concert ticket

The morning for our snowmobiling (雪上汽车) adventure finally arrived, and we set off on the hour-and-a-half drive to the resort. A fresh powder had fallen the night before, and everything was frosted white. We couldn’t have asked for more perfect conditions. The sun sparkled (闪光) on the snow, and the trails (路线) were completely empty – not another person or snowmobile in sight. We were thrilled at being the only people for miles around … until we got going.
As we drove through the deserted wilderness (荒野), my excitement became stone-cold fear. I had no idea what I was afraid of, or why I was afraid, but suddenly every turn, every hill, every steep (陡峭的) side of the mountain scared me to death. I kept picturing us crashing headlong into a tree or falling off the side of a drop. 
But after lunch things changed. We were the only humans who had been there since the snowfall. The peaceful place, the incredible beauty of the landscape, and the almost sacred experience of sharing a mountain with the wildlife touched my very core (核心).  My mind cleared and quieted and my muscles relaxed.
As we drove the last leg of the run, I began to resent being afraid to drive. Deep down, I wanted to be in charge of the thing that scared me. It made me angry that fear was keeping me from something I really wanted to do. The day was coming to an end, and the resort was only a few miles away. I knew that if I didn’t take my chance now, I would regret it.
I signaled for my husband to pull over. I wanted to drive, although my heart pounded (重击). I stared off slowly and felt the wind in my face. I smiled and sped up a little. I let out a “Yee-haw!” and went full out, taking my husband on the best ride of the day.
We ended the day on that breathless, carefree, and I felt proud of myself – proud of overcoming my fear.
What is the story mainly about?

A．What the author loves about snowmobiling.

B．What difficulties the couple faced during their adventure.

C．What interested the author during her time snowmobiling.

D．How the author overcame her fear during her adventure.

What can be concluded from the article?

A．The author was confident as she was driving in the deserted wilderness.

B．The author didn’t get worried until they started to drive through the deserted wild.

C．Aware that she and her husband were the only people around, the author became anxious.

D．The author was so nervous that she almost crashed into a big tree.

According to the article, after lunch the author _____.

A．gradually calmed down

B．stopped to enjoy the beautiful scenery

C．saw some wildlife on the mountain

D．was afraid to continue her journey

The underlined word “resent” in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to _______.

A．consider

B．appreciate

C．hate

D．recognize

What message does the story convey?

A．A person’s biggest enemy is his or her inner self.

B．It’s no use crying over the spilt milk.

C．Take time to enjoy the beauty of nature.

D．Respect and take pride in yourself.

He has vowed that he will not stop building his business until it is worth £100 million. But hard-working Owens can stop for at least a moment's celebration after making his first £1 million at the age of 16. Owens, who has used a computer since the age of seven, began teaching himself basic web design at the age of ten when he was given his first Mac computer. He used his pocket money to fund his first business project, website Mac Box Bundle at just 14 which has made £700,000 since its establishment in 2008. Mac Box Bundle sells a combination of popular Mac applications which are worth up to $400 together for under just $100 and donates 10 percent of the money to charities.
He then established an advertising company Branchr a year later and worked on the business after school and at weekends. Branchr made a surprising £500,000 in its first year. Branchr works as a platform for website owners to sell advertising.
Owens, from Northampton, currently employs eight staff---all adults---around the UK and America as sales and technical assistants. The young man lives with his parents. His mother who is a company secretary said he was inspired to go into business after observing the huge success achieved by Apple's chief executive officers(首席执行官) Steve Jobs.
Owens said, "I think everyone has business sense in them, and they just need to gain experience and be determined to make it. There is no magical formula(法则) for business, It takes hard work, determination and the drive to do something great. My aim is to become a leading name in the world of Internet and mobile advertising and push myself right to the top of the game.
The teenager insists his professional success has not affected his personal life, and says his interests include photography and playing the guitar. "My friends and I don't really talk about my success. To them I'm just a normal teenager and it doesn't change anything between us."
What can we know from Paragraph 1?

A．Owens' company is worth £1 million now.

B．Owens learned to use computers at the age of 10.

C．Owens made £700,000 from Mac Box Bundle in 2008.

D．Owens is successful and enthusiastic about public welfare.

From Paragraph 2 we know that Branchr _____________.

A．takes up all Owens' spare time

B．offers a platform for advertising business

C．designs practical software for website owners

D．takes up advertising business for Nac Box Bundle

Why did Owens come up with the idea of doing business?

A．Because eight adults were ready to help.

B．Because it was easy to establish web companies.

C．Because his parents wanted him to have a try.

D．Because he drew inspiration from Steve jobs.

Owens tends to think that ____________.

A．every person has potential talent for business

B．getting experienced in business needs determination

C．it is hard work for people to decide to do something great.

D．he is sure to play a leading part in the world of the Internet.

What do Ownes' friends think about him?

A．He sets a good example.	B．He does quite well in music.
C．He is a common school boy.	D．He puts friendship above anything else.

The idea of sailing west to reach the riches of the East Indies and the Asian mainland was much in fashion with cultured Europeans during the late fifteenth century. Learned people agreed that the earth was round: their only questions were how long and how dangerous would be a trip to reach the Orient. Christopher Columbus, the son of an unknown weaver, and himself a weaver of ambitious dreams, made his historic voyage to the New World in 1492. He didn't go to school very much, but be learned to read and write Spanish during his travels. He also taught himself Latin because all the geography books were written in Latin. Sailing with a tiny fleet of three ships, the Santa Maria and two smaller ships, the Pinta and the Nina and a crew of ninety sailors, be found the thirty-three-day crossing easier than his nearly-decade-long effort to find royal sponsors willing to support it. The trip drew not only on his own skills as an expert ship's captain, but also on his ability to plan such an expedition, obtain governmental approval and financing, and finally, demonstrate its success so that such explorations could continue. He tried for years to get King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella to supply him with ships and money. Finally they agreed, but he made more demands. He wanted to be made a knight, admiral of the Ocean Sea. He wanted to be the viceroy(总督)and governor general of all lands he would discover. Also he wanted one-tenth of everything he found of value in the new lands. The explorations that followed Columbus-those of Cabot, Verrazano, Cartier, and many others-benefited from a new maritime technology borrowed from Arab sailors and from a variety of new vessels (船，舰) such as the light-weight caravels employed by Columbus. Sailors also perfected sails and various types of riggings that gave ships added stability and greater maneuverability(可操作性)on the open seas. And when leaving sight of the coast, new navigational aids-charts, compasses, and astrolabes-permitted them to determine their position with some, though not perfect, accuracy. Columbus himself made a total of four voyages to the New World but he did not become rich as he had hoped. At the end of his life he only had a pension the king and queen had given him because he was the first to reach the New World. He spent the last few months of his life in bed because of the pain of arthritis(关)． Columbus not only discovered a New World, but led the way for other explorers.
What was the dream destination of Europeans in the late fifteenth century?

A．The oriental countries.	B．The East Indonesia.
C．The Old World.	D．The African mainland. ．

What preparations did Columbus make for his first voyage to the New World?
①He planned the expedition thoroughly.
②He spent almost ten years in looking for sponsors.
③He gathered a great many ships.
④He hired 90 sailors.
⑤He demonstrated his success of former far-reaching explorations.

A．①②③④⑤

B．①②④

C．①④⑤

D．②④⑤

We can learn from the passage that ________.

A．Christopher Columbus was an ambitious explorer

B．he was a geologist with ambitious dreams

C．Columbus became extremely wealthy after making a total of four voyages

D．he was an unsuccessful canvasser(游说者)

What equipment aided the sailors in locating relatively more accurately?

A．A variety of new vessels.	B．The light-weighted caravels.
C．Various types of riggings.	D．Charts, compasses and astrolabes.

In the passage, the author mainly tells us ________.

A．the tragedy of Columbus's life as a whole

B．Columbus's life story and his achievements

C．Columbus's exploration to the East Indies and Asia

D．how Columbus arrived in the New World ．

Coming from the Bronx, Jennifer Lopez knew from an early age it would be tough to achieve her dream. In an interview in 2002 she remembered, “I had such a will in me. I had such a passion in me. I could overcome my situation. But a lot of people will get beaten down and be held back by that.” Lopez was not beaten by her situation. She worked hard dancing, singing, and acting in theaters and her hard work paid off with small roles in television and films.
Lopez’s big breakthrough came in 1996 when she played the main role in the movie Selena. For this movie, Lopez got paid $1 million and became the highest paid Latin actress of all time. Since then, she has had starring roles in several successful movies, including Out of Slight(1998) with George Clooney.
Then, Lopez turned her attention toward music. In 1999, she released first album, On the 6. Two songs from the album, “If You Had My Love” and “Waiting for Tonight,” both reached number one on the Billboard music charts. The album sold more than three million copies around the world.
After starring in The Cell (2000), Lopez released her second album, J. Lo, in 2001. The album went straight to the top of the Billboard chart. At the same time that her album came out, Lopez’s new movie, The Wedding Planner, opened in theaters. It became the number one movie at the box office. This meant that Lopez was the first entertainer to ever have a number one album and a number one movie at the same time! Like her first album, J. Lo went tripe-platinum.
But her entertainment career was not the only thing Lopez focused on that year. 2001 was also the year Lopez started her own line of clothing, called J.Lo, and she married Cris Judd, a dancer who performed in her videos. The marriage did not last long, and Lopez and Judd divorced nine months later.
In 2002, Lopez starred in the films Enough and Maid in Manhattan. Maid in Manhattan became Lopez’s biggest movie yet, earning $19 million during its first weekend in theaters. Lopez also put her third album, This Is Me… Then, and the single “Jenny from the Block” hit number one for a week. To go with her line of clothing, Lopez introduced her own perfume.
In an interview, Lopez was asked if she planned to do more acting, singing, designing, or something new. She answered, “Yes, yes, yes, and yes! All of those things. I love making music, I love doing movies and all the other things. I think that everyone should do everything that they have a passion for.”
What is the main idea of the passage?

A．Lopez is better at singing than acting.

B．Lopez has done many things in her career.

C．Lopez grew up in a poor family.

D．Lopez has had many problems in her personal life.

Which of the following was most important in helping her career take off?

A．acting in the movie Selena	B．getting married to a dancer
C．releasing a second album	D．starring with George Clooney

Which is NOT true about Lopez?

A．She has had several number one songs.

B．She was a famous singer before she started acting.

C．She wants to do other things besides acting and singing.

D．She wanted to be an entertainer when she was young.

“… J. Lo went triple-platinum.” What does this mean about the album?

A．It was made by an actor or actress.

B．It sold more than three million copies.

C．It had songs from a movie on it.

D．It sold most of its copies outside the United States.

When I stepped out the plane from Miami into Charlotte, North Carolina, airport for a connecting flight home, I immediately knew something was wrong. Lots of desperate people crowded the terminal. I quickly learned that flights headed to the Northeast were called off because of a storm. The earliest they could get us out of Charlotte was Tuesday. It was Friday. A gate agent stood on the counter and shouted, “Don’t ask us for help! We cannot help you!”
I joined a crowd that ran from terminal to terminal in search of a flight out. Eventually, I found six strangers willing to rent a van with me. We drove through the night to Washington, where I took a train the rest of the way to Providence.
The real problem, of course, is that incidents like this happen every day, to everyone who flies, more and more often. It really gets to me, though, because for eight years I was on the other side, as a flight attendant for Trans-World Airlines (TWA).
I know the days are gone when attendants could be written up if we did not put the lines napkins with the TWA logo in the lower right-hand corner of the first-class diners’ trays. As are the days when there were three dinner options on flights from Boston to Los Angeles in economy class. When, once, stuck on a tarmac（机场停机坪）in Newark for four hours, a planeload of passengers got McDonald’s hamburgers and fries by thoughtfulness of the airline. I have experienced the decline of service along with the rest of the flying public. But I believe everything will change little by little, because I remember the days when to fly was to soar (翱翔). The airlines, and their employees, took pride in how their passengers were treated. And I think the days are sure to come back one day in the near future.
Many people crowded the terminal because _______.

A．they were ready to board on the planes

B．something was wrong with the terminal

C．the flights to the Northeast were canceled

D．the gate agent wouldn’t help the passengers

How did the writer get to Providence at last?___

A．by air	B．by van
C．by train	D．by underground

Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?______

A．Incidents happened to those who fly quite often.

B．The writer used to be a flight attendant for Trans-World Airlines.

C．Even a small mistake might cause complaints from passengers in the past.

D．McDonald’s hamburgers and fries were among regular dinner options.

What can be implied from the passage?____

A．The writer lived in Charlotte, North Carolina.

B．The writer thought the service was not as good as it used to be.

C．The writer with other passengers waited to be picked up patiently.

D．Passengers would feel proud of how they were treated on the plane.