Reading Comprehension 4
令狐文艳
Questions 1 - 5 are based on the following passage:
Bobby and his master, farmer John Gray, were familiar sights in Edinburgh. Every Wednesday after a visit to market and exactly as the time-gun boomed one o'clock, the two would enter Traill's Dining Room for their midday meal, a frugal lunch for Gray, and a bun for Bobby.
Then in 1858, the schedule was interrupted. Farmer Gray died. Three days after the funeral exactly at one o'clock, Traill found himself looking into a pair of beseeching canine eyes. Bobby got his bun and disappeared. This was repeated for several days until Traill's curiosity got the better of him. He followed the small terrier as he left and raced to his master's grave. There he remained each day, fair or foul, despite the efforts of dog-loving townspeople to give him a new home. The graveyard caretaker, while sympathetic, was at first not so willing to let him in. But Bobby's devotion and fidelity were so great that the caretaker provided Bobby with a shelter close to
the grave to protect him from bad weather.
Then, after nine years, Bobby was arrested as a vagrant because he had no license. The restaurant keeper appeared in court with Bobby. He was released by merciful justice. But just to make sure the law could not touch him. Lord Provost William Chambers paid Bobby's fee each year and presented him with a brass-plated collar inscribed " Grey friars, Bobby from The Lord Provost, 1876, Licensee."
After that.Greyfriars' Bobby was allowed to keep his lonely vigil undisturbed. He never varied his mealtime. Each day he left the graveyard as the gun roared one o'clock to pick up his bun and take it back to eat at his master's side. He must have been really hardy for he lived until 1872, having kept to his solitary post for fourteen long years. He was buried in Greyfriars', of course, in a flower bed near John Gray's tombstone.
1. An appropriate title for the passage could be _____.
A) Traill's Dining Room
B) Farmer John Gray
C) Bobby the Faithful
D) Lord Provost William Chambers
1. C）文章主要讲了一条名叫“Bobby”的义犬的故事，因此宜以 Bobby the Faithful为题。
2. The phrase "familiar sights" in the first sentence is nearest in meaning to _____.
A) "people who are familiar with the surroundings"
B) "people who enjoy sightseeing"
C) "people who have very good eye-sights"
D) "people or objects that are often seen around by others"
2. D）“familiar sights”原意为“熟悉的景象”，从上下文看显然是指人们“经常能看到的人或物”。
3. The phrase "fair or foul" in the second paragraph is used to describe _____.
A) the graveyard
B) the weather
C) Bobby
D) Traill
3. B）fair or foul紧接在 each day之后，作修饰语，表示“不论天气好坏”之意。
4. Which of the following is NOT mentioned or implied about Bobby?
A) Bobby had refused to live in other people's home.
B) Bobby was devoted and faithful to his master.
C) Bobby was once arrested because he did something wrong.
D) Bobby was protected by Lord Provost William Chambers until his death.
4. C) 第三段第一句“Bobby was arrested…because he had no license,”并非由于它干了什么错事。
5. From the passage, we know that Bobby was _____.
A) John Gray's servant
B) a dog
C) a vagrant
D) John Gray's son
5. B）从“master”（第一段第一句）“canine eyes”（第二段第三句）和“terrier”（第六句）等词,可推断出Bobby 是一条狗。
Questions 6 - 10 are based on the following passage:
(Words: )
It is curious how often sympathy for the old and infirm takes a form which actually humiliates them. Their friends, or mere acquaintances, wishing to show good will, paw them, sometimes leaning forward to rearrange their neckwear, pulling at their shawl, touching their hair or patting their faces —things they would never presume to do, unasked, to one of
their contemporaries.
An equally humiliating habit of many people who are quite unconscious of being rude is to talk about old people in front of them, as if they were not there, discussing their health, or making playful remarks on the lines of "Well, nurse, has she been a good girl today?"
It is now universally accepted that children should be encouraged to do as much as they can for themselves in order to develop their brains and muscles, but so few people today seem to have time to allow the elderly the same means of keeping their minds and muscles active. With what they believe to be unselfish kindness they perform innumerable services for them that they would be much better left to do, even with a struggle, for themselves.
Convenient flats, well-run homes, "motherly" visitors, or organised entertainments cannot make up for the fundamental need which must be satisfied —the need to retain to the end of life human dignity and the respect of one's fellows.
6. Many people are not aware that it is rather rude to
A) talk casually about old people in front of them as
if they were not there
B) pat old people in their face
C) rearrange the neckwear for the old
D) pull at old people's shawls
6. A）见第二段第一句：“An equally humiliating habit of many pepple who are quite unconscious of being rude…”。
7. According to the passage the old would very much like to _____.
A) keep themselves to themselves
B) live in comfortable and well-furnished flats
C) keep human dignity
D) get unselfish help from their friends and relatives
7. C）文章最后一段明确指出“the fundamental need”是“to retain to the end of life human dignity and the respect of one's fellows”。
8. The author suggests that_____.
A) too much sympathy will inevitably humiliate the old
B) kindness and unselfish help are not necessarily what the old need
C) the old should be left to do all they can by
themselves
D) to the old, the friends' and relatives' respect is, at least, as important as their concern
8. D） A）、B)及C）三项内容均在文中直接陈述出来，并非作者“暗示”（suggest）的内容。只有D）项是作者言词暗含的内容。
9. If the old are left to do as much as they can for themselves,_____.
A) they may keep human dignity and enjoy the respect of the fellows
B) they won't feel hurt or humiliated
C) they will be able to develop their brains and muscles
D) they will be able to keep their minds and muscles active
9. D）见第三段第一句：“It is now universally accepted that children should be encouraged to do as much as they can for themselves in order to develop their brains and muscles…”
10. It can safely be concluded from the passage that _____ is what the old value most.
A) retention of human dignity
B) sincere concern
C) genuine generosity
D) timely service
10. A）文章的最后一段列举物质条件、亲友关心等，都不能弥补这一基本需要（the funda－mental need），说明这一需要（即 retention of human dignity）为最为老人珍视。Questions 11 - 15 are based on the following passage:
(Words: )
The fact that blind people can "see" things using other parts of their bodies apart from their eyes may help us to understand our feelings about colour. If they can sense colour differences then perhaps we, too, are affected by colour unconciously.
Manufacturers have discovered by trial and error that sugar sells badly in green wrappings, that blue foods are considered unpleasant, and the cosmetics should never be packaged in brown. These discoveries have grown into a whole discipline of colour psychology that now finds application in everything from fashion to interior decoration. Some of our preferences are clearly psychological. Dark blue is the colour of the night sky and therefore associated with passivity and calm,while yellow is a day colour with associations of energy and incentive. For
primitive man, activity during the day meant hunting and attacking, while he soon saw as red, the colour of blood and rage and the heat that came with effort. And green is associated with passive defence and self-preservation. Experiments have shown that colours, partly because of their physiological associations, also have a direct psychological effect. People exposed to bright red show an increase in heartbeat, and blood pressure; red is exciting. Similar exposure to pure blue has exactly the opposite effect;it is a calming colour. Because of its exciting connotations,red was chosen as the signal for danger, but closer analysis shows that a vivid yellow can produce a more basic state of alertness and alarm, so fire engines and ambulances in some advanced communities are now rushing around in bright yellow colours that stop the traffic dead.
11. Manufacturers found out that colour affects sales _____.
A) by experience over a long period of time
B) by experimenting with different colours
C) by trying out colour on blind people
D) by developing the discipline of colour psychology
11. A）第二段第一句“by trial and error”是指“通过长时间的反复试验、不断摸索”之意，而B)项却是“用不同色彩作实验”之意，故非文章原意。
12. Our preferences for certain colours are _____.
A) associated with the time of day
B) dependent on our character
C) linked with our primitive ancestors
D) partly due to psychological factors
12. D）见第二段第三句“Some of our preferences are clearly psychological.”。
13. If people are exposed to bright red, which of the following things does NOT happen?
A) They breathe faster.
B) They feel afraid.
C) Their blood pressure rises.
D) Their hearts beat faster.
13. B）倒数第三句提及“show an increase in heartbeat and blood pressure”以及“red is exciting”故A)、C）及D）三项均为正确。
14. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
A) Colour probably has an effect on us which we are not conscious of.
B) Yellow fire engines have caused many bad accidents in some advanced communities.
C) People exposed to pure blue start to breathe more slowly.
D) The psychology of colour is of some practical use.
14. B) 文章最后一句提及“closer analysis shows that a vivid yellow can produce a state of alertness and alarm”，故有些先进社区的消防车和救护车漆以明亮的黄颜色，保证其顺利通行而不造成交通事故。B)项内容恰恰相反，所以是not true。
15. Which of the following could be the most suitable title?
A) The Discipline of Colour Psychology
B) Colour and Its Connotations
C) The Practical Use of Colour
D) Colour and Feelings
15. D）文章第一句即为主题句，讲了feelings与colour的关系。
Questions 16 - 20 are based on the following passage:
(Words: )
There is much discussion today about whether economic growth is desirable. At an earlier period, our desire for material wealth may have been justified.
Now, however, this desire for more than we need is causing serious problems. Even though we have good intentions, we may be producing too much, too fast.
Those who criticize economic growth argue that we must slow down. They believe that society is approaching certain limits on growth. These include the fixed supply of natural resources, the possible negative effects of industry on the natural environment, and the continuing increase in the world's population. As society reaches these limits, economic growth can no longer continue, and the quality of life will decrease.
People who want more economic growth, on the other hand, argue that even at the present growth rate there are still many poor people in the world. These proponents of economic growth believe that only more growth can create the capital needed to improve the quality of life in the world. Furthermore, they argue that only continued growth can provide the financial resources re-, quired to protect our natural surroundings from industrialization.
This debate over the desirability of continued economic growth is of vital importance to business and
industry. If those who argue against economic growth are correct, the problems they mention cannot be ignored. To find a solution, economists and the business community must pay attention to these problems and continue discussing them with one another.
16. According to those who argue against economic growth we must slow down for the following reasons EXCEPT that _____.
A) our natural surroundings are in danger of being destroyed by industry
B) the fixed supply of natural resources marks a point beyond which economic growth cannot continue
C) the world population is ever increasing
D) more efforts should be made to improve the quality of our material life
16. D）在第二段中提及了A）、B）及C）三项所含的reason，仅D）项未曾提及。
17. Those who want more economic growth believe that continued economic growth _____.
A) is essential to the well-being of society as a whole
B) can provide the solution to many of our social problems today
C) can protect our environment from being polluted by industry
D) can provide us with more natural resources for industrialization
17. A）此项题意与第三段第二句原文“These proponents of economic growth believe that only more growth can create the capital needed to improve the quality of life in the world”最为贴切。
18. We may infer from the context that "proponents" (Paragraph 3) most probably means
A) arguments in support of something
B) disagreements
C) people who argue for something
D) people who argue against something
18. C）
Vocabulary and Structure 4
(20 minutes)
Directions: There are 30 incomplete sentences in this part. For each sentence there are four choices marked A) , B) , C) and D). Choose the ONE answer that best completes the sentence. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.
1. The author was ________ in a small village, as is described in some of his short stories.
A) brought out C) brought in
B) brought up D) brought about
1．B）（was）brought up意为“（在......）长大的”。2. In what year did Magellan ________ on his voyage around the world?
A) set up C) set back
B) set for D) set off
2．D）set off意为“出发”，切合句意。set up作“建立”解Ｚ而 set back意为“阻碍”、“使受挫折”。
3. There is something wrong here; I will ask my solicitor to ________ it.
A) make out C) look into
B) set about D) figure out
3．C）look into（it）意为‘调查（此事）”；make out 意为“理解”、“辨认”； set out表示“开始”、“着手”；figure out作“计算”、“解决”、“领会”等解。
4. It was ________ for him to wear a T shirt at the reception.
A) out of place C) out of question
B) out of order D) out of practice
4．A）out of place意为“不合适的”；out of order指
“次序颠倒”、“出故障”；out of question表示“毫无疑问”；而 out of practice则表示“缺乏统习”之意。
5. The old lady was ________ to the young man who helped her find her lost grandson.
A) touched. C) cheerful
B) grateful D) generous
5．B）grateful（to the young man）意为“对年青人心怀感激”。
6. The ________ of human knowledge are being pushed further.
A) boundaries C) limits
B) borders D) edges
6．A）boundaries指“最外的界线”；而borders则是指“边界”，强调两国，或两个区域间的分界；limitation作“限制”、“局限”解；而 edges则是“边缘”之意。
7. Physicists have made new discoveries that challenge our ________ theories of the universe.
A) existed C) established
B) adapted D) organized
7 C）established作“已确立的”、“已被确认的”解。
8. ________ to popular belief, Cleopatra, the famous Egyptian queen, was Greek and spoke six languages.
A) Contrary C) According
B) Compared D) Contrast
8．A）contrary （to）意为“与......相反”，切合句意。因为一般人均不知埃及皇后CＩeopatra是希腊人，而且能说六种语言。
9. The indecisive man was ________ persuaded into changing his mind.
A) hardly C) unwillingly
B) voluntarily D) readily
9．D）readily （persuaded）指“很快（被说服）”。
10. My telephone has rung so often today that it is becoming a(n) ________.
A) interruption C) distress
B) frustration D) nuisance
10 D）nuisancet指“烦人的东西”。
11. It is really ________ to get angry about such an insignificant matter.
A) tragic C) comic
B) ridiculous D) unpardonable
11．B）ridiculous意为“荒唐的”。根据句意，须选此项。
12. Professor Wheelock is always very ________ to the reaction of the audience when he gives lectures.
A) sentimental C) sensitive
B) sensible D) positive
12．C）sensitive （to）意为“（对......）敏感的”。其他三词。sentimental（多愁善感的）、sensible（明智的）和positive不切合题意。
13. The audience ________ dressed in a variety of ways, some in suits and dresses, some in jeans.
A) has C) is
B) have D) are
13．D）audience（观众）可用作单数亦可用作复数，此处强调众多个体，应作复数。
14. The Taj Mahal in India has been called the most beautiful building in the world. I've spent ________ moonlit night there.
A) many a C) a great many
B) plenty of D) a great deal
14．A）短语many a（许多）后面须跟单数名词。
15. I don't know what illness he suffered from, but I do remember he mentioned ________ in hospital last year.
A) to be C) being
B) to have been D) having been
15．D）mention之后须跟动名词，因句中有时间状语（last year），故用动名词的完成时态。
16. I'm amazed that the young actress married the
filmmaker so soon. She ________ him very well.
A) won't have known C) shouldn't know
B) can't have known D) mustn't know
16．B）can’t have known（不可能已经了解）表示对过去所发生动作的推测。
17. Bruce Jenner chose as his sport the decathlon (十项全能), ________ is like saying that he chose to be good at everything.
A) what C) which
B) it D) who
17．C）非限制性定语从句须用which引导，前面用远号隔开。
18. My wife and I can scarcely remember what we ate at the state banquet except ________ it was plentiful and delicious.
A) when C) for
B) that D) as
18 B）except that用来引出名词性从句。
19. The waves ________ violently against the shore, people couldn't hear them crying for help.
A) beating C) have beaten
B) beat D) were beating
19．A）此句前半部分是分词独立结构（即分词有其自己的逻
辑主语）。
20. Mrs Parkins, who lost both her husband and son during the Second World War, is now in poor health and expects to ________ care of.
A) be taking C) take
B) have taken D) be taken
20．D）根据句意，须用不定式的被动语态。
21. The ________ away your job is from manual work, the more important it will be that you know how to convey your thoughts in writing or speaking.
A) greater C) farther
B) more D) further
21． D）further是far的比较级的一种形式，表示“（在程度上）更近一步”。
22. In order to search for the escaped prisoner, the police decide to question ________ comes along this road.
A) who C) whoever
B) whom D) whomever
22．C）尽管whoever在其所引导的名词从句中作question的宾语，但在宾语从句中whoever是主语。用Ｗhoever还是用计whomever，取决于在从句中的作用。
23. Mr Manson. who holds the office of chairman, has