三、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，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳答案，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

A

Look at the center circles of Diagram A and Diagram B.

Which of the centre circles looks larger? In Diagram B? In fact, they

are exactly the same size.

Then look at the picture on the right. What do you see? A vase? Or two faces?Does the picture change quickly from one to the other again and again? Maybe or maybe not, but you can never see them at the same time.

“What’s happening? Is something wrong with my eyes?” You may wonder at what you see. Don’t worry. Here is how it goes:

When we look at things, our eyes send messages to our brains and then our brains interpret the information. However, sometimes our brains interpret the received information in a wrong way. It seems that our eyes are playing a joke on us. This often happens and we call it “visual illusion(错误)”.

Movie makers often make use of visual illusions. They make the objects around actors much smaller or bigger than usual. This makes us believe that the actors are much larger or smaller than they usually are. The movies Jurassic Park and Honey I shrunk the kids just make use of visual illusions.

51. Why does the centre circle in Diagram A look smaller than that in Diagram B?

A. Something is wrong with our eyes.

B. The two circles are not the same size.

C. Our brains interpret the information in a wrong way.

D. The two pictures change quickly from one to the other.

52. What’s the right order according to the passage?

a. We look at things with our eyes.

b. Our brains interpret the messages.

c. Our brains tell us what we have seen.

d. Our eyes send messages to our brains.

A. a d b c   B. c a b d    C. a c d b     D. b c a d

53. What do movie makers make use of visual illusions for ?

A. To help the actors look better   B. To make the actors much braver

C. To help the actors become stronger D. To make the actors seem different in size

54. In the picture on the right, it seems that Line AB is shorter than Line CD, but in fact Line AB is as long as Line CD. Which paragraph(段落) can explain what has happened to our eyes?

A. The second one.              B. The third one.

C. The fourth one.              D. The fifth one.

B

For some people, music is no fun at all. About four percent of the population is what scientists call “amusic.” People who are amusic are born without the ability to recognize or reproduce musical notes(音调). Amusic people often cannot tell the difference between two songs. Amusics can only hear the difference between two notes if they are very far apart on the musical scale.

As a result, songs sound like noise to an amusic. Many amusics compare the sound of music to pieces of metal hitting each other. Life can be hard for amusics. Their inability to enjoy music set them apart from others. It can be difficult for other people to identify with their condition. In fact, most people cannot begin to grasp what it feels like to be amusic. Just going to a restaurant or a shopping mall can be uncomfortable or even painful. That iswhy many amusics intentionally stay away from places where there is music. However, this can result in withdrawal and social isolation. “I used to hate parties,” says Margaret, a seventy-year-old woman who only recently discovered that she was amusic. By studying people like Margaret, scientists are finally learning how to identify this unusual condition.

Scientists say that the brains of amusics are different from the brains of people who can appreciate music. The different is complex, and it doesn’t involve defective hearing. Amusics can understand other nonmusical sounds well. They also have no problems understanding ordinary speech. Scientists compare amusics to people who just can’t see certain colors.

Many amusics are happy when their condition is finally diagnosed(诊断). For years, Margaret felt embarrassed about her problem with music. Now she knows that she is not alone. There is a name for her condition. That makes it easier for her to explain. “When people invite me to a concert, I just say, ‘No, thanks. I’m amusic.’” says Margaret. “I just wish I had learned to say that when I was seventeen and not seventy.”

55. Which of the following is true of amusics?

A. Listening to music is far from enjoyable for them.

B. They love places where they are likely to hear music.

C. They can easily tell two different songs apart.

D. Their situation is well understood by musicians.

56. According to paragraph 3, a person with “defective hearing” is probably one who _________.

A. dislikes listening to speeches

B. can hear anything nonmusical

C. has a hearing problem

D. lacks a complex hearing system

57. In the last paragraph, Margaret expressed her wish that __________.

A. her problem with music had been diagnosed earlier

B. she were seventeen years old rather than seventy

C. her problem could be easily explained

D. she were able to meet other amusics

58. What is the passage mainly concerned with?

A. Amusics’ strange behaviors.

B. Some people’s inability to enjoy music.

C. Musical talent and brain structure.

D. Identification and treatment of amusics.

C

The Brown Bear

My wife Laura and I were on the beach, with three of our children, taking pictures of shore birds near our home in Alaska when we spotted a bear. The bear was thin and small, moving aimlessly.

Just a few minutes later, I heard my daughter shouting, “Dad! The bear is right behind us!” An agreesive bear will usually rush forward to frighten away its enemy but would suddenly stop at the last minute. This one was silent and its ears pinned back---- the sign (迹象) of an animal that is going in for the kill. And it was a cold April day. The bear behaved abnormally, probably because of hunger.

I held my camera tripod (三脚架) in both hands to form a barrier as the bear rushed into me. Its huge head was level with my chest and shoulders, and the tripod stuck across its mouth. It bit down and I found myself supporting its weight. I knew I would not be able to hold it for long.

Even so, this was a fight I had to win: I was all that stood between the bear and my family, who would stand little chance of running faster than a brown bear.

The bear hit at the camera, cutting it off the tripod. I raised my left arm to protect my face; the beast held tightly on the tripod and pressed it into my side. My arm could not move, and I sensed that my bones were going to break.

Drawing back my free hand, I struck the bear as hard as I could for five to six times. The bear opened its mouth and I grasped its fur, trying to push it away. I was actually wrestling (扭打) with the bear at this point. Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the fight ended. The bear moved back toward the forest, before returning for another attack----- The first time I felt panic.

Apparently satisfied that we caused no further threat, the bear moved off, destroying a fence as it went. My arm was injured, but the outcome for us could hardly have been better. I’m proud that my family reminded clear-headed when panic could have led to a very different outcome.

59. The brown bear approached the family in order to _________.

A. catch shore birds     B. start an attack

C. protect the children    D. set up a barrier for itself

60. The bear finally went away after it _________.

A. felt safe       B. got injured

C. found some food     D. took away the camera

61. The writer and his family survived mainly due to their _________.

A. pride        B. patience

C. calmness       D. cautiousness