2．In rainy London，always carry your"brolly"
BIG Ben，the Queen，a plate of ham and eggs-no，no，no．If you're looking for a symbol of Britain，only one thing passes the test-the umbrella．
Now，I know what you're thinking-we have rain in China and we have umbrellas too．Certainly，I will never forget the way it rained when I lived in Beijing：the sweets became instant rivers and the sky flashed with lightning for hours on end．People dove for cover under bin bags，the shops were emptied of their plastic ponchos（斗篷）within seconds，and I found myself soaked（浸透）from head to foot，my poorly-chosen skirt and T-shirt now totally see-through．This would never have happened in Britain．
For one thing，during my year in Beijing，it only really rained at about 10 times．尊
But although we never get a Beijing-style washout in London，the drizzle（毛毛雨）that does fall is all but constant．Even when the sky is perfectly blue，you can be sure it's going to cloud over and start drizzling again within the hour．
And when it does，there is chaos．Trains stop，drains（下水道）block，and buses break down as if this was the first time the local authorities had seen this wet stuff coming out of the clouds．
So-as with so many things in the UK-it's up to ordinary people to sort themselves out．No self-respecting Briton will ever leave home without his"brolly"-as the umbrella is affectionately（亲切地）known．
A brolly has hundreds of uses，even on rare rain-free days．A real gentleman of London will use his umbrella as a walking stick．A traditional game of cricket can be played using an umbrella as a hat．Nor do you ever have to be afraid of robbers-your umbrella doubles as a defensive weapon．
There is no brolly more British than my own．But it's not from London or Manchester or any where in the UK．It was a gift from my Chinese teacher-in Beijing．
How fitting that my No．l symbol of Brutishness-like almost everything in Britain-was made in China．
41．The author mentioned her rainy weather experience in Beijing to show thatC A．many foreigners have embarrassing moments living in Beijing
B．the rain in Beijing is usually much heavier than the rain in London
C．British people are more used to rainy weather than Chinese people
D．both Beijing and Londoners have unpleasant experience with sudden rain
42．The underlined word"this"in the second paragraph refers to"A"．
A．people getting extremely wet on rainy days
B．sudden rain leading to traffic troubles
C．people being well-prepared on rainy days
D．it only raining a dozen times per year
43．The underlined word"chaos"in paragraph 5 probably meansD
A．doubt B．excitement C．joy D．disorder
44．The tone of the articles is
A．humorous B．optimistic C．objective D．annoyed
45．What is the main idea of the article？C
A．Beijing-style rain and London-style drizzles both bring chaos
B．Everything in Britain was made in China．
C．Why the umbrella is the best symbol of Britain
D．What British people use a brolly for．
分析 本文属于文化类阅读．伦敦是一个气候变化及其频繁的城市，有时一天之内会有很大的变化，经常阴雨连绵，出行必备雨伞．本文介绍了雨伞是英国的象征．
解答 36．C．细节理解题．由文章前两段和第三段的"Thiswould never have happened in Britain．"可知，英国人比中国人更习惯雨天．故选C．
37．A．推理判断题．根据第三段的句子"I found myself soaked（浸透）from head to foot，my poorly-chosen skirt and T-shirt now totally see-through．"可知，this指的是浑身湿透的尴尬经历．故选A．
38．D．词义猜测题．根据第五段的句子"Trains stop，drains（下水道）block，and buses break down"可知"chaos"指的是"无序，混乱"．故选D．
39．A．推理判断题．根据倒数第二段的句子"Nor do you ever have to be afraid of robbers-your umbrella doubles as a defensive weapon．"可知，本文语气幽默风趣．故选A．
40．C．主旨大意题．根据文章和最后一段的句子"How fitting that my No．l symbol of Brutishness"可知，本文介绍了为什么雨伞是英国的象征，故选C．
点评 考查风土人情类阅读，让学生在阅读中找到相关的信息解答问题，推断答案和词义猜测．
