17．Usually，when your teacher asks a question，there is only one correct answer．But there is one question that has millions of current answers．That question is"What's your name？"Everyone gives a different answer，but everyone is correct．
Have you ever wondered about people's names？Where do they come from？What do they mean？
People's first names，or given names，are chosen by their parents．Sometimes the name of a grandparent or other member of the family is used．Some parents choose the name of a well-known person．A boy could be named George Washington Smith； a girl could be named Helen Keller Jones．
Some people give their children names that mean good things．Clara means"bright"； Beatrice means"one who gives happiness"； Donald means"world ruler"； Leonard means"as brave as a lion"．
The earliest last names，or surnames，were taken from place names．A family with the name Brook or Brooks probably lived near brook（小溪）；Someone who was called Longstreet probably lived on a long，paved road．The Greenwood family lived in or near a leafy forest．
Other early surnames came from people's occupations．The most common occupational name is Smith，which means a person who makes things with iron or other metals．In the past，smiths were very important workers in every town and village．Some other occupational names are：Carter-a person who owned or drove a cart； Potter-a person who made pots and pans．
The ancestors of the Baker family probably baked bread for their neighbors in their native village．The Carpenter's great-great-great-grandfather probably built houses and furniture．
Sometimes people were known for the color of their hair or skin，or their size，or their special abilities．When there were two men who were named John in the same village，the John with the gray hair probably became John Gray．Or the John who was very tall could call himself John Tallman．John Fish was probably an excellent swimmer and John Lightfoot was probably a fast runner or a good dancer．
Some family names were made by adding something to the father's name．English-speaking people added-s or-son．The Johnsons are descendants of John； the Roberts family's ancestor was Robert．Irish and Scottish people added Mac or Mc or O．Perhaps all of the MacDonnells and the McDonnells and the O'Donnells are descendants of the same Donnell．
24．Which of the following aspects do the surnames in the passage NOT cover？B
A．Places where people lived．
B．People's status．
C．Talents that people possessed．
D．People's occupations．
25．According to the passage，the ancestors of the Carpenter family most probablyC．
A．owned or drove a cart
B．made things with metals
C．made kitchen tools or containers
D．built houses and furniture
26．Suppose an English couple whose ancestors lived near a leafy forest wanted their new-born son to become a world leader，the baby might be namedD．
A．Beatrice Smith
B．Leonard Carter
C．George Longstreet
D．Donald Greenwood
27．The underlined word"descendants"in the last paragraph means a person'sA．
A．later generations
B．friends and relatives
C．colleagues and partners
D．later sponsors．
分析 这篇短文中作者告诉了我们人们的名字是从哪里来的．通过阅读这篇短文我们可以知道，一些人的名字来源于一些名人，有的人的名字跟他们住的地方有关，还有的跟他们祖先从事的职业有关．甚至我们还能从人们的名字上知道这个人头发、皮肤的颜色、特点等．还有些人的名字是在父亲名字的后面加上一些东西变来的．
解答 24．B，推理判断题．根据短文中The earliest last names，or surnames，were taken from place names．可知A在短文中提到了；根据The ancestors （祖先） of the Baker family probably baked bread for their neighbors in their native village．The Carpenter"s great-great-great-grandfather probably built houses and furniture．可知C在短文中提到了；根据Other early surnames came from people"s occupations可知D也提到了．但是B选项说人们的名字来源于性格，这个没有说到．故选B．
25．C，推理判断题．根据短文中Potter-a person who made pots and pans．可知，有些人的名字跟他们祖先做过的职业有关系．由此我们猜测Potter这个家族的祖先也许是制作厨房的工具或容器的．故选C．
26．D，细节理解题．根据短文第五段可知，有些人的名字来源于他们住的地方，The Greenwood family lived in or near a leafy forest，因此这个家庭的姓应该是Greenwood．而根据题目中要求的，他们希望自己的孩子成为世界的领袖，短文中告诉我们Donald means"world ruler"，因此这个孩子的名字应该是Donald Greenwood．故选D．
27．A，词义猜测题．根据短文最后一段以及这个单词所在的句子可知，有些人的名字是在他们父亲的名字后边加上一些东西来的，如Johnsons是John的后代．由此我们可以猜测出descendant这个单词的意思是后代．故选A．
点评 解答任务型阅读理解题，首先对原文材料迅速浏览，掌握全文的主旨大意．因为阅读理解题一般没有标题，所以，速读全文，抓住中心主旨很有必要，在速读的过程中，应尽可能多地捕获信息材料．其次，细读题材，各个击破．掌握全文的大意之后，细细阅读每篇材料后的问题，弄清每题要求后，带着问题，再回到原文中去寻找、捕获有关信息．最后，要善于抓住每段的主题句，阅读时，要有较强的针对性．对于捕获到的信息，要做认真分析，仔细推敲，理解透彻，只有这样，针对题目要求，才能做到稳、准．
