第三部分：阅读理解(共15小题;每小题2分，满分30分)

请认真阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

A

Many people think that the BBC news programs are better than those on other channels because the BBC is not a commercial company. It pays for its programs from the television license money which everyone must pay if they have a television.

The BBC, which is often known as “Auntie”, is the biggest news collecting operation in the world. It has the world’s largest network of foreign correspondents (记者). Ten percent of the BBC’s annual budget(年度预算) is spent on news collecting, reporting and presenting. More than 1,700 people work for the BBC news service.

The BBC produces more than 214 hours of news and current affairs programs for radio and television each week. Each television news program costs about £78,000 per hour and each radio news program costs about £4,800 per hour. In the UK, about 19 million people ― almost 35% of the total population watch the BBC television news programs every day.

Developments in technology are improving news collection and presentation every year. The BBC now uses special cameras in the TV news studios to film the news presenters, and captions― the words and sentences at the bottom of the screen, are now produced automatically by computer.

56. According to the first paragraph, we can learn that __________.

A. the BBC news programs are better than other programs

B. many people are more content with the BBC than with other channels

C. if we have a television, we don’t need to pay the television license money

D. the BBC news programs are better thought of than the news programs on other channels

57. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A. The BBC has the largest network of foreign correspondents in the world.

B. The BBC is now the only company to use special cameras to film the news presenters.

C. The number of the people working for the BBC news service is the largest in the world.

D. The percentage of the BBC’s budget spent on news collecting is the largest in the world.

58. We can infer from the passage that the UK has a population of about __________.

A. 19 million    B. 54 million    C. 5.4 million   D. 6.6 million

59. What’s the best title for the passage?

A. The BBC News Service

B. The BBC Is Not Commercial

C. The Biggest Operation in The World

D. Developments in Technology Are Improving News Collection

B

In his lowest days when few people bought his records, Taiwan singer Steve Chou lived alone in Canada and did little. One day, he passed by a local CD store and heard a song that greatly attracted him.

“My heart tells me that music is the thing I truly want to do, not for fame(名誉)or money,” Chou said. That’s how we luckily have such a music genius, who has since then composed(作曲)lots of hits for the pop music charts (排行榜).

“Sometimes we need to get close to nature to look deeply into our souls and see what we really want to follow,” he said.

Recently he has made public his latest work Lovers Genesis. In this album(集)he explores human relationships in the Internet age. “Technology itself is a good thing, but it depends on how you’re going to use it,” is Chou’s advice to teenagers.

Chou often gets his music ideas from trips. He has traveled to many places around the world and believes that learning a country’s language is the fastest way of experiencing the culture behind it.

Chou has worked hard on learning English to push forward his music career(事业). He has flown to the UK to attend months-long English training schools three times. There he lives with local families and practices daily conversations.

“So I could easily read the English instructions on recording machines and communicate with the local music producers,” said Chou, “The music reviews of the US or British singers that I appreciate could help me learn and grow with them.”

60. Which of the following about Steve Chou is the correct order?

a. He made public his work Lovers Genesis.

b. He passed by a local CD store and heard a song that greatly attracted him.

c. He composed lots of hits for the pop music charts.

d. Few people bought his records.

A. abcd     B. dbca    C. acbd    D. dacb

61. Why has Chou flown to the UK to learn English?

A. Because he wants to live in the UK.

B. Because his record company asks him to.

C. Because he wants to sell his album in the UK.

D. Because he thinks it will be helpful for his music career.

62. Steve Chou may agree with the following except that __________.

A. taking trips gives him some ideas of music

B. what we really want to follow is the most important

C. music is a thing that can bring him fame and money

D. in International age, technology itself is not a bad thing

63. What is Steve Chou like according to the passage?

A. Kind and helpful.              B. Proud and confident.

C. Active and hard-working.       D. Calm and disappointed.