58. What’s the best title of the passage?

A. Do kids still like reading?　　　　　　　　　　　 B. Kids’ interest in reading drops.

C. New technology on kids’ reading.　　　　　 D. Parents’ influence on kids’ reading.

答案　 56.B　 57.B　 58.A

Passage 20

(江西省抚州一中2009届高三第四次模拟考试A篇)

Each Indian tribe had a different language. Many Indians never learned any language except their own. Do you know how Indians from different tribes talked to each other? They had two ways to talk without sound. One way was by sign language; the other way by signals.

Sign language is a way of talking by using signs. Indians used sign language when they met strangers. In this way, they could find out whether the stranger was a friend or an enemy. In the Indian sign language, signs were made with the hands. One sign meant “man”. Another meant “horse”. To tell the time of day when something happened, an Indian pointed to the sky. He showed where the sun had been at the time.

Indians usually used signals when they wanted to send messages to someone far away. To make signals, an Indian might use a pony. He might use a blanket. Or he might use smoke, a mirror or fire arrows.

To signal that he had seen many animals, an Indian rode his pony in a large circle. Sometimes the Indian gave a signal like this and then went away to hide. This meant that there was danger.

The blanket signal was visible from far away. An Indian held the corners of a blanket in his hands. Then he began to swing the blanket from side to side in front of him. An Indian could send many different signals with his blanket.

He could also send many signals with a mirror. He usually used the mirror to warn someone of danger. Or he attempted to get the attention of a person far away. But he also used it to send messages in code. Of course, mirrors could be used only when the sun was shining. At night, Indians used fire arrows for signaling.

　 An Indian also sent signals with smoke. He made a small fire of dry wood. Then he put grass or green branches on it. He held a blanket over the fire for a minute. When he removed the blanket from the fire, there was a cloud of smoke. The number of clouds of smoke told his message in code.

Now you can see that Indians didn’t need to learn each other’s language. They could talk to one another by using signals or sign language.

57. It can be inferred from the passage that _____________.

A. the study is conducted to find how much time children spend reading every day

B. the older children grow, the little they spend reading every day

C. about half of all parents begin reading to their kids before their first birthday

D. parent engagement in child’s reading can have a great influence on them

56. According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?

A. In modern society, most kids still like reading.

B. Most kids are more likely to read e-books for fun every day.

C. Parents have a strong influence on kids’ reading

D. Most kids like reading as well as technology.

62. What will be continued after this passage?

A.　 How hard Chinese students studied in America.

B.　 Some advice on how to take care of yourself in America.

C.　 The difficulties you will meet with while living in America

D.　 Some other things to consider to choose the right school.

答案　 59.B　 60.C　 61.C　 62.D

Passage 19

(江苏省启东中学2009届高三最后一卷A篇)

The saying that children don’t like reading any more has been proved untrue. A new study finds that 75 percent of kids between five and 17 say that although they love technology, they still want to read books.

“The Kids & Family Reading Report” also says that 62 percent of kids prefer reading printed books rather than those on a computer. At the same time, those who search an author’s website or use the Internet to find books by a particular author, are more likely to read books for fun every day.

The study also once again proves that the time kids spend reading books for fun decreases after the age of eight and continues to drop through the teen years. The report is a follow-up to a 2006 study. But this time the focus is on the role of technology and when kids’ interest in reading starts to drop.

“Despite the fact that after the age of eight more children go online daily than read for fun daily, high frequency Internet users are more likely to read books for fun every day,” says Heather Carter, a writer of the report.

One in four kids between five and 17 say they read books for fun every day and more than half of kids say they read books for fun at least two to three times a week. One of the key reasons kids say they don’t read more often is that they have trouble finding books they like - a requirement that parents underestimate.

The study also finds that parents have a strong influence on kids’ reading, but only about half of all parents begin reading to their kids before their first birthday. The percent of children who are read to every day drops from 38 percent among five-to eight-year-olds to 23 percent among nine-to 11-year-olds - exactly the same time that kids’ daily reading for fun starts to drop.

“Parent engagement in their child’s reading from birth all the way through the teen years can have a great influence on how often their children read and how much they enjoy reading,” adds Carter.

61. In the passage the writer uses the example of Wang Yuwei to show ______.

A.　 you must spend a lot of time comparing the various schools

B.　 it isn’t worthwhile to spend time looking for the right university

C.　 it is necessary to find the suitable university that meets your personal interests

D.　 one’s own financial circumstances is worth considering

60. According to this passage, what can we judge?

A.　 More and more students will go abroad for their further education.

B.　 Choosing a good graduate school is a piece of cake.

C.　 To go abroad for further education, you must pass the GRE or TOTEL.

D.　 To get a better chance to go abroad, you‘d better apply to a less selective school.

59.The author believes that the right school is the one that _____.

A.　 has the best location

B.　 best meets one’s own personal needs and interests

C.　 best meets one’s assessment of an institution’s prestige

D.　 offers good living conditions

58. The purpose of this passage is to tell us _______.

A.　 people’s different opinions towards the ’80s generation.

B.　 the ’80s are the E-generation.

C.　 the ’80s are different from others in society.

D. the’80s have their own characteristics and we shouldn’t lose confidence in them

答案　 55.D　 56.B　 57.C　 58.D

Passage 18

(江苏省金坛一中2009届高三5月模拟C篇)

For most Chinese university students, the US is a favorite destination for further education. But apart from obstacles such as the GRE and TOEFL exams, choosing a good graduate school is no easy task.

Admission is very competitive for international students, so it is important to apply to a number of institutions to have a reasonable chance of acceptance.

Since the application to most universities requires a certain fee, Chinese students usually choose seven to 17 universities according to their own financial circumstances.

Wang Yuwei, a Zhejiang University graduate, sent applications to 15 US universities.

When the 24-year-old began looking for a US graduate school in her senior year, she took time to compare the various schools and find the ones most suiting her needs. Now, studying at the University of Washington, she knows that her hard work paid off.

“To broaden your chances, at least one third of the applications should be to less selective schools,” said Wang. “Applicants shouldn’t limit their choices to the most famous institutions.”

Furthermore, one shouldn’t rely on too much on college rankings such as the Gorman Report or US News & World Report’s annual league tables.

The right school is the one that best meets your own personal needs and interests, rather than someone else’s assessment of an institution’s prestige(声望).

“Usually choices are based on one’s personal interests and academic background, but it is important to make sure that your chosen subject is satisfied,” said Wang.

57. The best title for this passage could be ______.

A. The self-centred generation　　　　 　　　　　 B. The internet generation

C. The “born in the ’80s”generation　　 　　 　　D. The life of the ’80s

56. What can we infer from the passage?

A.All the ’80s have a strong sense of responsibility to the society.

puters play a more important part in the life of the ’80s, who perhaps can’t live without them.

C.The ’80s generation are ambitious, knowledgeable and responsible.

D.People can’t imagine why the ’80s like internet so much.