阅读理解

A MAN OF PEACE

　　Martin Luther King, Jr. was the son of a black Baptist (〈基督教新教〉浸礼会) preacher (牧师). His mother was a school teacher. Young Martin spent a fairly quiet childhood in Atlanta, Georgia. After high school, he went to college and studied to be a minister, like his father. Nobody could have guessed, in those days, the place in history that Martin Luther King, Jr. was to have.

　　It all started in Montgomery, Alabama on December 1,1955. The buses in Montgomery were segregated (使分离). Black people had to sit in the back of the bus, or stand, if the back was full. One day, a black woman, Rose Parks, was returning home after a hard day's work. She sat in the front of the bus, and then refused to give up her seat to a white passenger who got on the bus after her. Rose Parks was arrested, and the black community of Montgomery was outraged (引起……的义愤).

　　Martin Luther King, Jr. persuaded the black citizens to protest (抗议) peacefully. He organized a boycott (联合抵制) of the bus service. For 381 days, the buses of Montgomery rolled back and forth on their routes, nearly empty. It was not easy for the blacks to give up riding the buses. For most of them, the buses were their only means of transportation (交通, 运输). They walked, rode in car pools even in horse-drawn wagons and the buses stayed empty. King and his followers were threatened (威胁). King's house was destroyed by a bomb. But still, the buses rolled in empty. At last, the bus company gave in. The law was changed. Martin Luther King, Jr., had won his first protest against injustice－peacefully. King became a famous leader of non-violent demonstrations (非暴力示威).

　　King led protests and demonstrations all over the country during the next few years. Everywhere he went, he preached love, patience, and most of all, non-violence. He believed that blacks could win their struggle for equal rights without violence. Millions of people all over the world knew about King and his beliefs. He was both admired and criticized, loved and hated.

　　In 1964, King won the Nobel Peace Prize. He was only thirty-four years old－the youngest man to ever receive this high honor.

1．Martin Luther King, Jr., was the son of ________.

[　　]

A．an American white Baptist priest

B．an American black Baptist preacher

C．an English Baptist priest

D．an English school teacher

2．He went to college and studied to be ________ like his father.

[　　]

3．One afternoon in December 1,1955, a black woman was taken to jail because ________.

[　　]

A．she was black

B．she was riding in a bus

C．she refused to give up her seat in the front of the bus to a white passenger

D．she was sitting in the back of the bus

4．Martin organized a boycott of the bus service which lasted ________.

[　　]

5．King was ________ among those who had won the Nobel Peace Prize by 1964.

[　　]

阅读理解

　　Flying over a desert area in an airplane, two scientists looked down with trained eyes at trees and bushes. After an hour's flight one of the scientists wrote in his book, ‘Look here for probable metal.’ Scientists in another airplane, flying over a mountain area, sent a message to other scientists on the ground, ‘Gold possible.’ Walking across hilly ground, four scientists reported, ‘This ground should be searched for metal.’ From an airplane over a hilly wasteland a scientist sent back by radio one word: ‘Uranium.’

　　None of the scientists had X-ray eyes: they had no magic powers of looking down below the earth's surface. They were merely putting to use one of the newest methods of locating minerals in the ground, using trees and plants as signs that certain minerals may lie beneath the ground on which the trees and plants are growing.

　　This newest method of searching for minerals is based on the fact that minerals deep in the earth may affect the kind of bushes and trees that grow on the surface.

　　At Weston Bar Greek, a brook (小溪) six thousand feet high in the mountains of British Columbia, Canada, a mineral search group gathered bags of tree seeds. Boxes were filled with small branches from the trees. Roots were dug and put into boxes. Each bag and box was carefully marked. In a scientific laboratory the parts of the forest trees were burned to ashes and tested. Each small part was examined to learn whether there were minerals in it.

　　Study of the roots, branches, and seeds showed no silver. But there were small amounts of gold in the roots and a little less gold in the branches and seeds. The seeds growing nearest to the tree trunk had more gold than those growing on the ends of the branches.

1．Scientists were flying over a desert of a hilly wasteland or a mountain area in order to search for ________ in the ground.

[　　]

2．The study of trees, branches and roots shows that ________.

[　　]

A．there were larger amounts of gold in the branches than in the seeds

B．there were smaller amounts of gold in the roots than in the branches

C．there were less amounts of gold in the seeds growing on the ends of branches than seeds growing nearest to the tree trunk

D．there was more gold in the branches than in the roots

3．Which is the best title suggested below?

[　　]

A．Scientists Searching for Metals with Special Power

B．New Methods of Searching for Minerals

C．Gold Could Be Found by Trees and Plants

D．A New Method of Searching for Minerals－Using Trees and Plants

4．Which of the following is not mentioned as part of a tree that can help find minerals?

[　　]

5．The scientists were in search for minerals by using ________.

[　　]

阅读理解

　　With inspiration from nature and some help from research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a team led by Carnegie Mellon engineering professor Mettin Sitti built a tiny robot that can walk on water, much like the insects known as water skimmers or Jesus bugs.

　　It's only a prototype, but some researchers imagine the water-skimming robot could have many uses. With a chemical sensor, it could monitor water supplies for toxins; with a camera it could be a spy or an explorer; with a net or a boom, it could skim contaminants off the top of water.

　　Sitti's robot is little more than a half-inch boxy body made from carbon fibers and eight, 2-inch steel-wire legs coated with a water-repelling plastic (technically making it a water spider). The robot can stand on water－it doesn't float－and can skim backward and forward, propelling itself with two legs that act like oars. Sitti said he could build a more complex water-skimming robot within six months.

　　Sitti's robot weighs about a gram, about the same as half a dime. So far, it's also cheap. Sitti estimates the materials in his spartan prototype cost about $10.

1．From the story we can infer that the robot was invented by ________.

[　　]

A．Mettin Sitti

B．Carnegie Mellon

C．a team led by Mettin Sitti

D．a team led by Carnegie Mellon

2．The robot was made to ________.

[　　]

A．catch water spiders

B．amuse children

C．do some possible monitoring of water resources

D．save ships from sinking

3．Which of the following statements is not true?

[　　]

A．The newly-made robots have been in practical use.

B．The robot does not weigh as much as one kilogram.

C．The robot can skim on water.

D．It is as thin as half of a coin.

阅读理解

　　Well, Mrs Evans, I've done my best to look after David. I've tidied his room up every day, got him a meal together whenever he needed one and made sure he's always had a clean shirt to put on. It's not been easy, with two of my own to worry about, as well. David's had the best of attention, I must say. But now because I asked him to give up bringing that American friend to his home he has got quite miserable (可怜的) and unfriendly. He comes in at all hours and his behavior－it's quite hard to put up with－and it's all because of this friend. I'm sure he's a bad influence (影响). You see, David's a visitor and doesn't fully understand our ways.

　　He used to study most evenings. He's got through quite a bit of work. He did up his room quite nicely, with bookshelves and large posters. He'd ask Mr Smith and me up for a drink and cheer us up with songs from his country. He's very good at the guitar, you know.

　　I don't want to appear as if I'm running after him but it's about time we made it up. I'm sure he's upset because I told him off (责怪他). It might be a good idea to take him out for a meal, perhaps even with his friend. I don't know whether it will do any good but we can try. I'm glad I've had this little chat with you, Mrs Evans, and I'll let you know how I get on.

1．David is ________.

[　　]

2．Mrs Smith believes that David is not the cause of the quarrel but that the main cause is ________.

[　　]

3．Mrs Smith wants to make up the quarrel by ________.

[　　]

A．cooking a meal

B．giving them drinks

C．inviting David and his friend out

D．running after David

4．David's present attitude (态度) to Mrs Smith is ________.

[　　]

A．very attentive (专心的)

B．unfriendly

C．cheerful

D．incomprehensible (不可思议的)

阅读理解

　　China's astronaut, 38-year-old Yang Liwei returned safely to earth Thursday morning, when his craft Shenzhou V touched down as scheduled after more than 21 hours in the earth's orbit. Chinese premier Wen Jiabao called the landmark debut flight a “complete success”. The descent capsule (返回舱) carrying Lt. Col. Yang Liwei touched down on the grasslands of the Gobi Desert, in central Inner Mongolia at 6:23 a. m. Thursday (Beijing Time), the Beijing-based China's Aerospace Command and Control Center said. Minutes later, Yang grabbed the capsule hatch with his hand, pulled himself out, smiled and waved at recovery teams and reporters. “It is a splendid moment in the history of my motherland and also the greatest day of my life,” Yang, a former flight pilot from Northeast China's Liaoning Province, said immediately after emerging. In an interview with CCTV, China's state television, Yang said he was “feeling excellent”. Shenzhou V landed at dawn, 4.8 kilometres (3 miles) from its designed landing target, the officials said. “The spaceship operated well,” the astronaut Yang Liwei said in his first publicized comments. “I feel very good and I am proud of my motherland.” After a physical exam on spot, Yang's condition was found as “good”. Li Jinai, the commander of China's manned space program, called Yang a “space hero” and a “national hero”. Following Yang's touchdown China's premier Wen Jiabao immediately spoke to Yang from Beijing's Command and Control Centre and offered his congratulations.

　　Within hours, Chinese space officials announced that the country's space dreams will continue with a “Shenzhou Ⅵ” mission, most possibly within a year. They said China also had worked out plans to conduct space walking by its astronauts, and eventually build up a space station. However, Chinese scientists ruled out building a space shuttle, like the United States.

　　Yang's flight came four decades after the former Soviet Union and the United States pioneered manned spaceflight. Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin orbited the Earth in April 1961. One month later, the United States launched Alan B. Shepard Jr.

1．What is true of the Chinese astronaut Yang Liwei?

[　　]

A．He is now a flight pilot.

B．He was helped to get out of the descent capsule.

C．He spent nearly a day in space.

D．He was called a “space hero” and a “national hero” by China's premier Wen Jiabao.

2．China will carry out the following space programs in the near future except ________.

[　　]

A．space walking

B．setting up a space station

C．building up a space shuttle

D．sending up “Shenzhou Ⅵ”

3．The underlined word debut means ________.

[　　]

4．Which of the following is NOT true?

[　　]

A．Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was the first man in the world to travel in space.

B．The United States launched Alan B. Shepard Jr. about 43 years ago.

C．China is the third country in the world to carry out the manned space flight successfully.

D．“Shenzhou Ⅵ”will carry more than one astronaut in the mission.

阅读理解

　　One of the greatest killers in the Western world is heart disease. The death rate (率) from the disease has been increasing at a surprising speed for the past thirty years. Today in Britain, for example, about four hundred people a day die of heart disease. Medical experts know that people can reduce their chances of getting heart disease by exercising regularly, by not smoking, by changing their diets, and by paying more attention to reducing stress (压力) in their work.

　　However, Western health-care systems are still not paying enough attention to the prevention of the disease. There is a need for more programs to educate the public about the causes and prevention of heart disease. Instead of supporting such programs, however, the U. S. health-care system is spending large sums of money on the surgical (外科的) treatment of the disease after it develops. This emphasis (强调) on treatment clearly has something to do with the technological advances that have taken place in the past ten to fifteen years. In this time, modern technology has enabled doctors to develop new surgical techniques (技术). Many operations that were considered impossible or too risky (有风险的) a few years ago are now performed every day in U. S. hospitals. The result has been a huge increase in heart surgery.

　　Although there is no doubt that heart surgery can help a large number of people, some people point out that the emphasis on the surgical treatment of the disease has three clear disadvantages. First, it attracts interest and money away from the question of prevention. Second, it causes the costs of general hospital care to rise. After hospitals buy the expensive equipment that is necessary for modern heart surgery, they must try to recover the money they have spent. To do this, they raise costs for all their patients, not just those patients whose treatment requires the equipment. The third disadvantage is that doctors are encouraged to perform surgery－even on patients for whom an operation is unnecessary－because the equipment and expert skills are there. A government office recently stated that major heart surgery, for example, only 15 percent of patients improved their conditions after the surgery. However, more than 100000 of these operations are performed in the United States every year.

1．What effect has modern technology had on medicine?

[　　]

A．It has reduced the costs of medical treatment.

B．It has helped save the lives of most patients.

C．It has encouraged doctors to do more heart surgeries.

D．It has helped educate people about the prevention of heart disease.

2．“To do this” (in Paragraph 3 ) means ________.

[　　]

A．to help patients recover

B．to increase the number of heart surgeries

C．to get back the money spent on the equipment

D．to buy new equipment for the treatment of heart disease

3．The author would agree that ________.

[　　]

A．more money should be spent on the prevention of heart disease

B．heart surgery has helped most patients improve their conditions

C．modern technology has made heart surgery more risky than before

D．the public have known a great deal about the causes of heart disease

4．What would be the best title for the passage?

[　　]

A．The Greatest Killer in the West

B．Heart Disease: Treat or Prevent

C．Modern Technology and Heart Surgery

D．Heart Surgery: Advantages and Disadvantages

阅读理解

　　The tower of Big Ben, London's most famous building, has always leaned (倾斜) slightly, but construction (建设) work on a new line for the London Underground seemed likely to give the tower a real lean. Engineers have had to prop up (支撑) its base to prevent it from damaging the rest of the Houses of Parliament.

　　To control the tower's movement, engineers pumped grout (水泥浆) into the soil under the tower. The tower now leans an extra few centimeters, but the lean can only be seen by the most sharp-eyed observer.

　　Between 1995 and 1997, to lengthen the Jubilee Line of the Underground, builders dug a 40-metre-deep hole just 31 metres north of the clock tower. And the new tube (underground) tunnels were even nearer to the tower. John Burland, who recently helped stop the increasing lean in the Leaning Tower of Pisa and was an adviser to the Jubilee Line project, believed the work would affect (影响) the tower. In his opinion, no further lean should go beyond a safety limit of 27.5 millimetres (毫米) over the existing lean of 220 millimetres.

　　To keep the lean within this limit, Burland told the British Association about the new method of pumping grout immediately under the base of the tower. More than 300 tons of grout were pumped in during construction. The tower's additional lean went between 10 and 25 millimetres, but never passed 27.5 millimetres.

　　After the construction work was completed in late 1997, a review of movements in nearby walls showed that the building was in better shape than it had been thought before and the safety limit was raised to 35 millimetres before any action needs to be taken.

　　Since 1997, the tower has continued to lean, Burland told Modern Construction. The latest measurements, taken this year, suggest that the tower's lean had just reached 35 millimetres. But following regular re-examinations of the tower, experts are sure that the tower has stabilized (稳定). A spokesman for London Underground says: “We understand the tower has stabilized and returned to its normal movement cycle.”

　　From Modern Construction, 16 September, 2004

1．What does the world “review” (in Paragraph 5) mean?

[　　]

2．Why was the propping up construction necessary?

[　　]

A．To stop the tower of Big Ben from necessary.

B．To stop sharp-eyed people from seeing the lean.

C．To stop the Tower of Pisa from leaning too much.

D．To stop the clock tower from leaning beyond its safety limit.

3．What was the existing lean of the tower at the time when the article was written?

[　　]

4．We can infer from the article that ________.

[　　]

A．the tower of Big Ben will damage the Houses of Parliament (国会)

B．the Jubilee line should be stopped in Burland's opinion

C．the writer is blaming (责备) Burland for making a mistake

D．the propping up work has proved to be successful

阅读理解

　　Mt. Qomolangma was first conquered (征服) in 1953, when Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing, his guide, became the climbers to reach the top. More than 750 times have people tried to conquer the mountain, but not all successful, yet every climber knows the danger. This doesn't stop teams of climbers arriving at the base camp every year with the courage (勇气) of reaching the top.

　　Two such climbers, and two unlucky ones are Scott Fischer and Rob Hall. Fischer, an American guide with much experience, was lost in a terrible storm which swept across the mountain. A rescue team (救护队) found him and his friend, but didn't manage to bring Fischer to safety in the terrible conditions because he was dying. New Zealander Rob Hall, another experienced (有经验的) climber and guide, was lost near the top. These two men had something in common: they were both guides and always took a “tour” of less experienced climbers up the mountain.

　　There is a lot that can go wrong in an action to reach the top of Mt. Qomolangma; a sudden change in weather conditions or a wrong turning. Planes will only be sent to rescue if they have been paid for in advance (预先). In spite of (尽管) all these there is a business in leading guided tours to the top. Rich mountain climbers can now pay 64000 or more to succeed.

　　Many people wonder how guides can hope to look after their inexperienced climbers when they fail to keep themselves alive. Steve Bell, also a guide who has recently led a team to Mt. Qomolangma, believed that they are safer than others, because the guide can ask a weak climber to turn back at any point if he feels that the climber is a danger to the team.

　　Whether these expeditions (远征) are safe or not, many climbers feel they have turned Mt. Qomolangma into a business, like a park for the very rich people. One truth, however, will always remain: it doesn't matter how much money you have, if you make a mistake on Mt. Qomolangma, the possible result will be death.

1．From the passage we can know ________.

[　　]

A．before 1953 people had tried to reach the mountain top over 750 times

B．it's difficult and dangerous to get to the top of Mt. Qomolangma

C．many climbers become successful

D．up to now the climbers have conquered the mountain around 750 times

2．In the second paragraph the underlined word “tour” refers to “________”.

[　　]

3．The plane will be sent to ________.

[　　]

A．rescue the climber in danger with rescue prepaid

B．rescue any climber in danger

C．show the team with its guide the way to the top

D．show the team to the safety

4．According to Bell, a good guide had to make ________ remain on the way to the top.

[　　]

A．the teammates in danger

B．the teammates in safety

C．the strong teammates

D．those who are not dangerous

阅读理解

　　A letter to Edward. a columnist(报刊专栏作家)

　　Dear Mr Expert:

　　I grew up in an unhappy and abusive home. I always promised myself that I 'd get out as soon as possible. Now, at age 20, I have a good job and a nice house, and I'm really proud of the independence I've achieved.

　　Hers the problem; several of my friends who still live with their parents wish they had places like mine-so much so that they make mine theirs.

　　It started out with a couple of them spending the weekends with me. But now they seem to take it for granted that they can show up any time they like. They bring boyfriends over, take on the phone and stay out forever.

　　I enjoy having my friends here sometimes－it makes the place feel comfortable and warm－but this is my home, not a party house. I was old enough to move out on my own, so why can't I seem to ask my friends to respect my privacy(隐私)?

Joan

　　Edward's reply to Joan

　　Dear Joan:

　　If your family didn't pay attention to your needs when you were a child, you probably have trouble letting other know your needs now.

　　And if you've gathered your friends around you to rebuild a happy family atmosphere(气氛), you may fear that saying no will bring back the kind of conflict you grew up with－or destory the nice atmosphere you now enjoy. You need to understand that in true friendship it's okay to put your own needs first from time to time.

　　Be clear about the message you want to send. For example, “I really love your company but I also need some privacy. So please call before you come over.”

1．We can learn from the first letter that Joan Edward ________.

[　　]

A．lives away from her parents

B．takes pride in her friends

C．know Mr. Expert

D．hates her parents very much

2．We can infer from the first letter that ________.

[　　]

A．Joan considers her friends more important than her privacy

B．Joan's friends visit her more often than she call accept

C．Joan doesn't like the parties at all

D．Joan dislikes the boyfriends her friends bring over

3．According to Mr Expert, why can't Joan tell her friends her feelings?

[　　]

A．She is afraid of hurting her friends.

B．She does not understand true friendship.

C．Her family experience stops her from doing so.

D．She does not put her needs first

4．The underlined word “conflict” in the second letter means ________.

[　　]

5．The second letter suggests that Mr Expert ________.

[　　]

A．is worried about Joan's problem

B．warns Joan not to quarrtel with her friends

C．advises Joan on how to refuse people

D．encourages Joan to be brave enough

阅读理解

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项A、B、C和D中，选出最佳选项。

　　The traditional dream of Chinese philosophers to be able to “run with the wind” became a reality this New Year's Eve day.

　　The Shanghai Transrapid Maglev Line(首次) test run and the first commercial maglev (magnetic levitation) system in the world was put to use.

　　The project is a joint effort by China and Germany. It cost 10 billion yuan and took two and a half years to complete.

　　The maglev train ran smoothly, building up speed to 427 kilometres per hour. It covered a 45-minute journey by car in an easy eight minutes. However, the short trip costs as much as 50 yuan. There are speculations(推测) that within ten years there could be a line from Shanghai to Beijing－1280 kilometres. The journey would only take three hours. The total cost of the maglev would be about US $ 24 billion.

　　Unlike the current railway system with traditional tracks, the maglev runs on magnetic levitation lines. The powerful electric current enables the fast train to rise above the line and float.

　　A maglev system can reach speeds of up to 400～500 kilometres per hour, much faster than any normal railway system. The lack of contact between the train and the maglev “tracks” reduces the noise level and the damaging effect on the land of a city.

　　The maglev system is also energy-efficient. Its energy consumption(消耗) is only about half that of cars and a quarter that of aircraft with the same transport capacity.

　　The effect of the magnetic force of the maglev system on passengers and nearby areas is minimal since the effect on humans is less than that of most electric household appliance(家用电器).

1．The passage is mainly about ________.

[　　]

A．the speed of the Shanghai Transport Maglev line

B．the Shanghai Transport Maglev Line

C．the influence of the Shanghai Transport Maglev Line

D．the co-operation between China and Germany

2．The last three paragraph tell us ________.

[　　]

A．the advantages of the maglev system

B．the usage of the maglev system is a final trend

C．the maglev system can do good to environment protection I

D．the effect of the magnetic force on passengers

3．It can be inferred that ________.

[　　]

A．no other countries in the world except China have studied the Shanghai Transraid Maglev Line

B．the cost of taking a journey in the maglev train is too high

C．the Shanghai Transrapid Maglev Line will attract more visitors to Shanghai

D．Germany is the only partner for China in Shanghai

4．The author thinks ________.

[　　]

A．one of China's long-term dreams has come true

B．Shanghai takes the lead in high-tech in China

C．the cost of the maglev train is beyond the ability of Shanghai

D．maglev trains will take the place of many transportation tools