七、(浙江省南马高中2011-2012学年第一学期期中考试)

A

A woman from Japan was telling a friend about her trip to the United States. The woman had visited major businesses and investment companies in New York City and Chicago.

“I studied English before I left home,” she said. “But I still was not sure that people were speaking English.”

Her problem is easy to understand. Americans in business are like people who are in business anywhere. They have a language of their own. Some of the words and expressions deal with the special areas of their work. Other expressions are borrowed from different kinds of work such as the theater and movie industry.

One such saying is “get your act together”.

When things go wrong in a business, an employer may get angry. He may shout, “Stop making mistakes. Get your act together.

Or, if the employer is calmer, he may say, “Let us get our act together.” Either way, the meaning is the same. Getting your act together is getting organized. In business, it usually means to develop a calm and orderly plan of action.

It is difficult to tell exactly where the saying began. But, it is probable that it was in the theater or movie industry. Perhaps one of the actors was nervous and made a lot of mistakes. The director may have said, “Calm down, now. Get your act together.”

Word expert James Rogers says the expression was common by the late 1970s. Mister Rogers says the Manchester Guardian newspaper used it in 1978. The newspaper said a reform policy required that the British government get its act together.

Now, this expression is heard often when officials of a company meet. One company even called its yearly report, “Getting Our Act Together.”

The Japanese visitor was confused by another expression used by American business people. It is “cut to the chase”.

She heard that expression when she attended an important meeting of one company. One official was giving a very long report. It was not very interesting. In fact, some people at the meeting were falling asleep.

Finally, the president of the company said, “Cut to the chase.”

Cut to the chase means to stop spending so much time on details or unimportant material. Hurry and get to the good part.

Naturally, this saying was started by people who make movies. Hollywood movie producers believe that most Americans want to see action movies. Many of their movies show scenes in which the actors chase each other in cars, or in airplanes or on foot。

Cut is the director’s word for stop. The director means to stop filming, leave out some material, and get to the chase scene now.

So, if your employer tells you to cut to the chase, be sure to get to the main point of your story quickly.

41. After the woman visited the United States she might feel that __________.

A. it’s difficult to make money B. It’s easy to master English

C. her English was poor D. people there weren’t very friendly

42. In which situation could the words “get your act together” be used?

A. Visitors make a tiresome and unpleasant trip to someplace.

B. Players perform badly in a match.

C. Audience is satisfied with the actor’s performance in a movie.

D. A task is completed successfully

43. According to the text, the expression “get one’s act together” __________.

A. was first used by a Japanese business woman

B. was commonly read by readers in a newspaper in 1978.

C. originally came from a yearly report of a company

D. was forbidden to be used in the government policy

44. What do the sayings “get your act together” and “cut to the chase” have in common?

A. their origins B. Their meanings C. Their uses D. their popularities

45. The text is most likely to be found in a book about _________.

A. life attitude B. travel journals

C. successful business D. language culture

B

No woman can be too rich or too thin. This saying often attributed to the late Duchess of Windsor embodies much of the odd spirit of our times. Being thin is deemed as such a virtue. The

problem with such a view is that some people actually attempt to live by it. I myself have fantasies of slipping into narrow designer clothes. Consequently, I have been on a diet for the better—or worse—part of my life. Being rich wouldn’t be bad either, but that won’t happen unless an unknown relative dies suddenly in some distant land, leaving me millions of dollars. Where did we go off the track? When did eating butter become a sin, and a little bit of extra flesh unappealing, if not repellent? All religions have certain days when people refrain from eating and excessive eating is one of Christianity’s seven deadly sins. However, until quite recently, most people had a problem getting enough to eat. In some religious groups, wealth was a symbol of probable salvation and high morals, and fatness a sign of wealth and well—being. Today the opposite is true. We have shifted to thinness as our new mark of virtue. The result is that being fat –or even only somewhat overweight—is bad because it implies a lack of moral strength.

Our obsession(迷恋) with thinness is also fueled by health concerns. It is true that in this country we have more overweight people than ever before, and that, in many cases, being overweight correlates with an increased risk of heart and blood vessel disease. These diseases. , however, may as much to do with our way of life and our high—fat diets as with excess weight. And the associated risk of cancer in the digestive system may be more of a dietary problem—too much fat and a lack of fiber—than a weight problem. The real concern, then, is not what we weight too much, but that we neither exercise enough nor eat well. Exercise is necessary for strong bones and both heart and lung health. A balanced diet without a lot of fat can also help the body avoid many diseases. We should surely stop paying so much attention to weight. Simply being thin is not enough. It is actually hazardous if those who (or already are) thin think they are automatically healthy and thus free from paying attention to their overall life—style. Thinness can be pure vainglory(虚荣).

46. In the eyes of the author, an odd phenomenon nowadays is that _______________.

A. the Duchess of Windsor is regarded as a woman of virtue

B. looking slim is a symbol of having a large fortune

C being thin is viewed as a much desired quality

D religious people are not necessarily virtuous

47. Swept by the prevailing trend, the author ______.

A. had to go on a diet for the greater part of her life

B. could still prevent herself from going off the track

C. had to seek help from rich distant relatives

D. had to wear highly fashionable clothes

48. In human history, people’s views on body weight _______

A.. were closely related to their religious beliefs B. changed from time to time

C. varied between the poor and the rich D. led to different moral standard

49. The author criticizes women’s obsession with thinness _______-.

A. from an economic and educational perspective

B. from sociological and medical points of view

C from a historical and religious standpoint

D. in the light of moral principles

50. What’s the author’s advice to women who are absorbed in the idea of thinness?

A They should be more concerned with their overall life style.

B They should be more watchful for fatal diseases.

C They should gain weight to look healthy

D They should rid themselves of fantasies about designer clothes

CDBAD CABBA

八、(衢州一中2011学年度第一学期期中检测试卷)A

From the health point of view we are living in an amazing age. We are free from many of the most dangerous diseases. A large number of once deadly illnesses can now be cured by modern medicine. It is almost certain that one day medicines will be found for the most stubborn remaining diseases. The expectation of life has increased greatly. But though the possibility of living a long and happy life is greater than ever before, every day we witness the unbelievable killing of men, women and children on the roads. Man vs the motor-car! It is a never-ending battle which man is losing.

Thousands of people all over the world are killed or horribly killed each year and we are quietly sitting back and letting it happen.

It has been rightly said that when a man is sitting behind a steering wheel (方向盘), his car becomes the extension of his personality. There is no doubt that the motor-car often brings out a man’s very worst qualities. People who are normally quiet and pleasant may become unrecognizable when they are behind a steering-wheel. They say, they are ill-mannered and aggressive, willful as two-year-olds and completely selfish. Their hidden angers and disappointments seem to be brought to the surface by the act of driving.

The surprising thing is that society smiles so gently on the motorist and seems to forgive his behavior. Everything is done for his convenience. Cities are allowed to become almost uninhabitable because of heavy traffic; towns are made ugly by huge car parks; the countryside is ruined by road networks; and the deaths become nothing more than a number every year, to be easily forgotten.

It is high time a world rule was created to reduce this senseless waste of human life. With regard to driving, the laws of some countries are unbelievable lenient (宽容的) and even the strictest are not strict enough. A rule which was universally accepted could only have an obviously beneficial effect on the accident rate. Here are a few examples of some of the things that might be done. The driving test should be standardized and made far more difficult than it is; all the drivers should be made to take a test every three years or so; the age at which young people are allowed to drive any vehicle should be raised to at least 21; all vehicles should be put through strict tests for safety each year. Even the smallest amount of alcohol in the blood can damage a person’s driving ability. Present drinking and driving laws (where they exist) should be made much stricter. Speed limits should be required on all roads. Governments should lay down safety specifications for car factories, as has been done in the USA. All advertising stress power and performance should be banned. These measures may not sound good enough. But surely nothing should be considered as too severe if it results in reducing the number of deaths. After all, the world is for human beings, not motor-cars.

41. What is the main idea of this passage?

A. Traffic accidents are mainly caused by motorists.

B. Thousands of people all over the world are killed each year.

C. The laws of some countries about driving are to lenient.

D. Only stricter traffic laws can prevent accidents.

42. What does the author think of society toward motorists?

A. Society laughs at the motorists. B. Huge car parks are build in the cities and towns.

C. Victims of accidents are nothing. D. Society forgives their rude driving

43. What does the author mean by saying “his car becomes the extension of his personality” in

Paragraph 2?

A. Driving can show his hidden qualities B. Driving can show the other part of his personality

C. Driving can bring out his character D. Driving can represent his manners

44. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a way against traffic accidents?

A. Perfect the road network B. Stricter driving tests

C. Test drivers every three years D. Raise age limit and lay down safety specifications.

45. The author’s attitude towards the traffic situation is ______.

A. confused B. discontented C. appealing D. doubtful

B

Consult the page adapted from an English dictionary and do Questions 46-49.

46. What does the phrase “green shoots” mean in “Green shoots have begun to appear in different markets”?

A. Signs of recovery. B. High prices.

C. Environmental protection. D. Change in policy.

47. Fill in the blank in the sentence “I can’t believe this is Joshua—he’s ______ since we last met!”

A. shot out B. shot through C. shot up D. shot down

48. When you are talking about unimportant things, we say you are ______.

A. shooting yourself in the foot B. shooting the breeze

C. shooting your mouth off D. shooting questions at somebody

49. Choose a word to complete the sentence “The ______, which killed a policeman and wounded a passer-by, was reported to have lasted only 13 seconds.”

A. shooter B. shoot C. shot D. shooting

41—45 DDAAB 46—49 ACBD

九、(浙江省绍兴一中2012届高三上学期期中考试)A

An idea that started in Seattle's public library has spread throughout America and beyond. The concept is simple: help to build a sense of community in a city by getting everyone to read the same book at the same time.

In addition to encouraging reading as a pursuit (追求) to be enjoyed by all, the program allows strangers to communicate by discussing the book on the bus, as well as promoting reading as an experience to be shared in families and schools. The idea came from Seattle librarian Nancy Pearl who launched (发起)the "If All of Seattle Read the Same Book " project in 1998. Her original program used author visits, study guides and book discussion groups to bring people together with a book, but the idea has since expanded to many other American cities, and even to Hong Kong.

In Chicago, the mayor appeared on television to announce the choice of To Kill a Mockingbird as the first book in the "One Book, One Chicago" program. As a result, reading clubs and neighborhood groups sprang up around the city. Across the US, stories emerged of parents and children reading to each other at night and strangers chatting away on the bus about plot and

character.

The only problem arose in New York , where local readers could not decide on one book to represent the huge and diverse population. This may show that the idea works best in medium-sized cities or large towns, where a greater sense of unity(一致)can be achieved .Or it may show that New Yorkers rather missed the point ,putting all their energy and passion into the choice of the book rather than discussion about a book itself.

Ultimately, as Nancy points out, the level of success is not measured by how many people read a book, but by how many people are enriched by the process or have enjoyed speaking to someone with whom they would not otherwise have shared a word.

41. What is the purpose of the project launched by Nancy?

A. To invite authors to guide readers.

B. To encourage people to read and share.

C. To involve people in community service.

D. To promote the friendship between cities.

42. Why was it difficult for New Yorkers to carry out the project?

A. They had little interest in reading.

B. They were too busy to read a book.

C. They came from many different backgrounds

D. They lacked support from the local government

43. According to the passage, where would the project be more easily carried out?

A. In large communities with little sense of unity

B. In large cities where libraries are far from home

C. In medium-sized cities with a diverse population

D. In large towns where agreement can be quickly reached

44. The underlined words “shared a word” in Paragraph 5 probably mean

A. exchanged ideas with each other

B. discussed the meaning of a word

C. gamed life experience

D. used the same language

45. According to Nancy, the degree of success of the project is judged by

A. the careful selection of a proper book

B. the growing popularity of the writers

C. the number of people who benefit from reading.

D. the number of books that each person reads.

B

Many parents have learned the hard way that what sounds like open communication is often the very thing that closes a youngster’s ears and mouth. One common mistake is the Lecture, the long monologue that often starts with “When I was your age….” Eighteen-year-old Kelly calls lectures “long, one-side discussions in which I don’t say much.”

Kids reflexively(条件反射地) shut down in the face of a lecture. Their eyes glaze over(呆

滞), and they don’t register any incoming information. Listen to 13-year-old Sarah describe her least favorite times with her mom and dad. “First, they scream. Then comes the ‘We’re so disappointed’ speech. Then the ‘I never did that to my parents’ lecture begins. After that, even if they realize how ridiculous they sound, they never take it back.”

Lines like “When you have children of your own, you’ll understand” have been seriously said by parents since time immemorial. But many of our expert parents, like Bobby, a registered nurse and mother of three, feel that by falling back on clichés(陈词滥调) to justify our actions, we weaken our position.

Since kids are creatures of here and now, the far-off future has no relevance to them. Therefore, good communicators like Bobby suggest, “Give specific reasons for your actions in present language: ‘I’m not letting you go to the party because I don’t think there will be enough adult supervisions(监护).’”

Betty, who lives in Missiouri, uses an indirect approach. “I find that warnings are accepted more readily if I discuss a news article on a subject I am concerned about. My husband and I talk about it while our children absorb the information. Then they never think I’m preaching(布道).”

This really helped when Betty’s kids began driving. Instead of constantly repeating “Don’t drink; don’t speed,” she would talk about articles in the paper and express sympathy for the victims of a car crash. Betty made no special effort to draw her kids into the conversation. She depended on a teenager’s strong desire to put in his opinions---especially if he thinks he isn’t being asked for them.

46. The purpose of the passage is to _________.

A. compare two ways of parents` communicating with their kids

B. give parents advice on how to communicate with their kids

C. explain why kids won’t listen to their parents.

D. introduce kids` reaction to the communication between them and their parents

47. Which of the following statements is NOT right?

A. Kids won’t listen to their parents because they think what their parents say is boring.

B. Many kids think they have no right to express their own opinions.

C. Some kids think their parents should apologize when they are wrong.

D. Kids don’t like any discussion at all.

48. What does the underlined word in the first paragraph mean?

A. 独白 B. 对话 C. 插话 D. 讨论

49. Which of the following topic may appeal to kids?

A. Parents` own experience

B. Kids possible life in the future

C. Something related to kids’ present life

D. What parents have done to their own parents.

50. In order to make kids follow their advice, parents should______.

A. tell their kids to listen carefully B. set out their warnings directly

C. list out as many examples as possible D. arouse kids’ desire to express themselves.

BCDAC BDACD

十、(浙江省新昌中学2012届高三上学期期中考试试题)

(A)

Generations of Americans have been brought up to believe that a good breakfast is essential to one’s life. Eating breakfast at the start of the day, we have been told, and told again, is as necessary as putting gasoline in the family car before starting a trip.

But for many people, the thought of food as the first thing in the morning is never a pleasure. So in spite of all the efforts, they still take no breakfast. Between 1977 and 1983, the latest year for which figures could be obtained, the number of people who didn’t have breakfast increased by 33%—from 8.8 million to 11.7 million—according to the Chicago-based Market Research Corporation of America.

For those who dislike eating breakfast, however, there is some good news. Several studies in the last few years have shown that, for grown-ups especially, there may be nothing wrong with omitting (省略) breakfast. “Going without breakfast does not affect work,” said Arnold E. Bender, former professor of nutrition at Queen Elizabeth College in London, “nor does giving people breakfast improve work.”

Scientific evidence linking breakfast to better health or better work is surprisingly inadequate, and most of the recent work involves children, not grown-ups. “The literature,” says one researcher, Dr Earnest Polite at the University of Texas, “is poor.”

41. The main idea of the passage is that _______.

A. breakfast has nothing to do with people’s health

B. a good breakfast used to be important to us

C. breakfast is not as important to us as gasoline to a car

D. breakfast is not as important as we thought before

42. For those who do not take breakfast, the good news is that _______.

A. several studies have been done in the past few years

B. the omission of breakfast has little effect on one’s work

C. grown-ups have especially made studies in this field

D. eating little in the morning is good for health

43. The underlined part “nor does giving people breakfast improve work” means _______.

A. people without breakfast can improve their work

B. not giving people breakfast improves work

C. having breakfast does not improve work, either

D. people having breakfast do improve their work, too

44. The word "literature" in the last sentence refers to _______.

A. stories, poems, play, etc

B. written works on a particular subject

C. newspaper articles

D. the modern literature of America

45. What is implied but not stated by the author is that _______.

A. breakfast does not affect work

B. Dr Polite works at an institution of higher learning

C. not eating breakfast might affect the health of children

D. Professor Bender once taught college courses in nutrition in London

(B)

Many trees in the Brackham area were brought down in the terrible storms that March. The town itself lost two great lime trees from the former market square. The disappearance of such striking features had changed the appearance of the town centre entirely, to the annoyance of its more conservative inhabitants(居民).

Among the annoyed, under more normal circumstances, would have been Chief Inspector Douglas Pelham, head of the local police force. But at the height of that week's storm, when the wind brought down even the mature walnut tree in his garden, Pelham had in fact been in no fit state to notice. A large and healthy man, he had for the first time in his life been seriously ill with an attack of bronchitis.

When he first complained of an aching head and tightness in his chest, his wife, Molly, had tried to persuade him to go to the doctor. Convinced that the police force could not do without him, he had, as usual, ignored her and attempted to carry on working. Predictably, though he wouldn't have listened to anyone who tried to tell him so, this had the effect of fogging his memory and shortening his temper.

It was only when his colleague, Sergeant Lloyd, took the initiative (主动) and drove him to the doctor's door that he finally gave in. By that time, he didn't have the strength left to argue with her. In no time at all, she was taking him along to the chemist's to get his medicine and then home to his unsurprised wife who sent him straight to bed.

When Molly told him, on the Thursday morning, that the walnut tree had been brought down during the night, Pelham hadn’t been able to take it in. On Thursday evening, he had asked weakly about damage to the house, groaned (含糊不清地说) thankfully when he heard there was none, and pulled the sheets over his head.

It wasn't until Saturday, when the medicine took effect, his temperature dropped and he got up, that he realized with a shock that the loss of the walnut tree had made a permanent difference to the appearance of the living-room. The Pelhams’ large house stood in a sizeable garden. It had not come cheap, but even so Pelham had no regrets about buying it. The leafy garden had created an impression of privacy. Now, though, the storm had changed his outlook.

Previously, the view from the living-room had featured the handsome walnut tree. This had not darkened the room because there was also a window on the opposite wall, but it had provided interesting patterns of light and shade that hid the true state of the worn furniture that the family had brought with them from their previous house.

With the tree gone, the room seemed cruelly bright, its worn furnishings exposed in all their shabbiness. And the view from the window didn’t bear looking at. The tall house next door, previously hidden by the tree, was now there, dominating the outlook with its unattractive purple bricks and external pipes. It seemed to have a great many upstairs windows, all of them watching the Pelhams' every movement.

“Doesn’t it look terrible?” Pelham whispered to his wife. But Molly, standing in the doorway, sounded more pleased than dismayed. “That's what I’ve been telling you ever since we came here. We have to buy a new sofa, whatever it costs.”

46. Why were some people in Brackham annoyed after the storm?

A. No market could be held. B. The police had done little to help.

C. The town looked different. D. Fallen trees had not been removed.

47. In the third paragraph, what do we learn about Chief Inspector Pelham’s general attitude to his work?

A. He finds it extremely annoying.

B. Не is sure that he plays an important role.

C. Не considers the systems are not clear enough.

D. He does not trust the decisions made by his superiors.

48. What aspect of the Pelhams’ furniture does “shabbiness” in paragraph 8 describe?

A. its condition. B. its colour. C. its position. D. its design.

49. As a result of the storm, the Pelhams’ living-room _____.

A. was pleasantly lighter B. felt less private

C. had a better view D. was in need of repair

50. Why did Molly sound pleased by her husband’s comment?

A. It proved that he was well again. B. She agreed about the tree.

C. She thought he meant the sofa. D. It was what she expected him to say.

 

41.DBCBC 46.CBABC

【总结】高中英语阅读题就为大家介绍到这里了，大家在高三时期要把握住分分钟的时间，认真复习，成功是属于你们的。

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