四.閱讀理解（共15小題：每題3分，共45分。）

閱讀下列短文，然后根據(jù)短文的內(nèi)容從每小題的四個選擇項中選出最佳的一項。

 

A

Looking for Pen Pals

Mary, 24years old, comes from Scotland and would like to find a pen pal(筆友)who comes from East Europe. She likes playing the piano and listening to jazz music. She is interested in history but does not like discussing politics.

Jim, 19 years old, comes from South Korea. He would like a pen pal who is interested in discussing the differences of life in Europe and Asia. He loves traveling, listening to pop music and playing football in his free time.

Pietro, 42 years old, comes from Argentina, He is a businessperson and would like to find a pen pal who is also a businessperson and lives in North America. He likes using the Internet and listening to light music.

Helga, 31 years old, comes from Germany and speaks French, English and Russian. She would like a pen pal who is interested in exchanging (交流) ideas about language learning. She does not like using computers for learning and believes that language learning can only happen in a classroom.

Jennifer, 18, comes from New Orleans, She is interested in discussing the political differences between East Europe and North America. She loves horse-riding and listening to jazz music.

Alessandro, 25 years old, comes from Rome. He is interested in finding a pen pal who speaks different languages and can exchange ideas on using computers for learning purposes. He likes playing football in his free time.

 

36. Who are interested in the same kind of music?

A. Mary and Pietro                  B. Pietro and Jim

C. Jim and Jennifer                  D. Mary and Jennifer

 

37. What hobby do Jim and Alessandro have in common?

A. Traveling                      B. Playing football

C. Horse-riding                    D. Learning language

 

38. Who is interested in finding a pen pal from the business world?

A. Jim                          B. Pietro

C. Jennifer                      D. Alessandro

 

B

“Are you crazy?” people around him shouted as Alex Bien, a 33-year-old immigrant (移民), ran toward three cars in a chain accident along the highway in Miami, which were burning down. Alex didn’t think twice.

The article” Against the Flames” reported how he put out the fire on a car and pulled a couple out of another. But when he returned to his own car, steam was coming out from it. It was damaged beyond repair.

Back in his tiny flat, alone and with little money, Alex didn’t know what to do. He was already working, going to college and supporting his wife, Aline, and children back in Haiti. He worried about his wife’s health; doctors thought she had cancer(癌癥). Every cent was important to him. And now this.

Within weeks of reading the article, readers sent hundreds of letters offering jobs, money and best wishes. One delivered a car-used, but in fine condition. Others helped Aline come to Miami, where a medical team found out it was not cancer.

Readers also wrote to U.S. government officials to support the immigration of Alex’s family to Miami. Consul General Roger Daley even invited Alex to discuss the matter. Aline, together with their children, joined Alex in Miami this past March. Alex says, “I would like to say a beautiful thanks to the readers. There are good people everywhere in this world.”

 

39. Why did people say that Alex was crazy?

A. He had an accident                     B. He made a fire on the highway

C. He burned his car                      D. He ran toward the burning cars

 

40. What do we know about Alex from the text?

A. He and his wife worked in the U.S.

B. He was a full-time student in Haiti

C. He was an immigrant with little money

D. He wrote the article “Against the Flames”

 

41. What did Roger Daley invite Alex to discuss?

A. Alex’s new job as a news reporter

B. The medical treatment of Alex’s wife

C. Alex’s further studies at a U.S. university

D. The immigration of Alex’s family to the U.S.

 

42. What made Alex say “There are good people everywhere in this world”?

A. Some strangers repaired his car free of charge

B. Some people supported his children’s education

C. Many readers of the article tried to help him out

D. His friends sent doctors to treat his wife in Haiti

 

C

In January 2004, a 20-year-old woman ran a red light while talking on a cell phone. Her car knocked into another car crossing with the green light directly in front of her. The police found the driver never touched her brakes(剎車) and was traveling 48 mph when she hit the other car. The police were told that the driver was not looking down, pressing buttons. She was looking straight out of the windshield (擋風(fēng)玻璃) talking on her cell phone as she passed four cars and a school bus.

Vision is the most important sense for safe driving. Yet, drivers using cell phones are likely to “look at” but not “see” objects. It is said that drivers using cell phones look but fail to see up to 50 percent of the information while driving. Drivers are looking out of the windshield, but they do not really deal with the situation on the road.

Although the public appear to be turning against cell phone use while driving, many admit they regularly talk or text while driving. The police say that nine percent of the drivers at any given time are using cell phones, and about one in four car accidents are directly related to cell phone use.

Using cell phones while driving has become a serious public health threat (威脅) . A few states have passed laws making it unlawful to use a handheld cell phone while driving, but these laws give the false message that using a hand-free phone is safe.

 

43. What was the woman doing when the car accident happened?

A. She was busy pressing buttons

B. She was talking on her cell phone

C. She was looking at the red light ahead

D. She was looking for something in the car

 

44. The word “vision” (paragraph 2) refers to the sense of     .

A. taste            B. touch              C. hearing               D. sight

 

45. What is the percentage of the car accident caused by drivers using cell phones?

A. 9%             B. 25%               C. 45%                 D. 50%

 

46. What do we know about the laws making it unlawful to use a handheld cell phone while driving?

A. They are not perfect                      B. They are not necessary

C. They are not practical                     D. They are not important

 

D

Many people thought babies were not able to learn things until they were five or six months old. But doctors now say babies begin learning on their first day of life. A baby will smile if his or her mother does something the baby likes. A baby learns to get the best care by smiling to please her mother or other care givers. This is when babies learn to connect and “talk” with other people.

Language skills are believed to develop best in the first three years when the place is rich with sounds and sights. Scientists say children should hear the speech and language of other people again and again. The first signs of communication (交際) happen during the first few days of life, when a baby learns that crying will bring food and attention.

Research shows that most children recognize the general sounds of their native language by six months of age. By that time, a baby usually begins to make sounds. By the end of their year, most children are able to say a few simple words, although they may not understand the meaning of the words. By 18 months of age, most children can say between eight and ten words. By two years of age, most children are able to make simple sentences. By ages three, four and five, the number of words a child can understand quickly increases. It is at these ages that children begin to understand the rules of language.

 

47. When do babies begin to learn according to doctors?

A. Right after they are born                     B. Not until they are five months old

C. When they are six months old                 D. As soon as they are one year old

 

48. Babies will smile when    .

A. they are wet or hungry                      B. they want to get the best care

C. they want to talk to others                    D. they learn sounds and words

 

49. What do most children begin to do from age three or older?

A. Make sounds                              B. Make simple sentences

C. Say a few words                           D. Understand language rules

 

50. What would be the best title for the text?

A. The Language of Babies                     B. When Do Babies Learn to Talk

C. The Roles of Cry and Smile                  D. How Babies Understand Words