电大英语网考真题(阅读理解).doc

Passage 1A characteristic of American culture that has become almost a tradition is to respect the self-made man the man who has risen to the top through his own efforts, usually beginning by working with his hands. While the leader in business or industry or the college professor occupies a higher social position and commands greater respect in the community than the common laborer or even the skilled factory worker, he may take pains to point out that his father started life in America as a farmer or laborer of some sort.This attitude toward manual（体力的）labor is now still seen many aspects of American life. One is invited to dinner at a home that is not only comfortably but even luxuriously（豪华地）furnished and in which there is every evidence of the fact the family has been able to afford foreign travel, expensive hobbies, and college education for the children; yet the hostess probably will cook the dinner herself, will serve it herself and will wash dishes afterward, furthermore the dinner will not consist merely of something quickly and easily assembled from contents of various cans and a cake or a pie bought at the nearby bakery. On the contrary, the hostess usually takes pride in careful preparation of special dishes. A professional may talk about washing the car, digging in his flowerbeds, painting the house. His wife may even help with these things, just as he often helps her with the dishwashing. The son who is away at college may wait on table and wash dishes for his living, or during the summer he may work with a construction gang on a highway in order to pay for his education.21. From paragraph 1, we know that in America _（A）_. A. people tend to have a high opinion of the self-made man B. people can always rise to the top through their own efforts C. college professors win great respect from common workers D. people feel painful to mention their fathers as labors22. According to the passage, the hostess cooks dinner herself mainly because _（B）_. A. servants in American are hard to getB. she takes pride in what she can do herself C. she can hardly afford servantsD. It is easy to prepare a meal with canned food23. The expression “wait on table” in the second paragraph means “_（D）_”. A. work in a furniture shopB. keep accounts for a bar C. wait to lay the tableD. serve customers in a restaurant24. The authors attitude towards manual（体力的）labor is _(A)_. A. positiveB. negativeC. humorousD. critical25. Which of the following may serve as the best title of the passage? (B) A. A Respectable Self-made Family.B. American Attitude toward Manual Labor. C. Characteristics of American Culture.D. The Development of Manual Labor.Passage 2A film was at the Circle Five Ranch to film a Marlboro commercial. This was in 1868, before they prohibited cigarette ads from American television. Darrell Winfield was watching the crew set up the equipment. The scene included an actor crossing a river on horseback, but when the time came to shoot, the man was too drunk to ride. Someone from the crew saw Winfield and asked him if he would ride the horse for 50 dollars. “Hell,” said Winfield, “for 50 bucks, Ill jump that damn horse over the moon!” To people in many countries, Winfield is just a familiar but nameless face, a simple cowboy with an advertising message about a connection between the West and a brand of cigarettes. Few people know that he is 55, a family man whos been married to the same woman for 37 years and has 5 children and 7 grandchildren. Most surprisingly, hes a real, working cowboy who raises horses in his ranch in Wyoming.One of the most striking things about the Marlboro Man is that success hasnt changed him much. He says that complete strangers sometimes come up to him and say, “Ive met you,know you from somewhere. ”Whenever it happens, he says that he gets embarrassed.1.Which of the following statements is true? (D)A. Cigarette ads were not allowed on television in America before 1868.B. Cigarette ads are now welcomed everywhere in America. C. Marlboro commercials were not allowed before 1868.D. Marlboro commercials were allowed on television in America before 1868. 2.What does the word “prohibited” in the first paragraph mean? (B)A. broadcast B. forbidden C. produced D. provided 3.When they filmed the ad, _(B)_. A. Winfield was too drunk B. the actor in the ad was too drunk C. Winfield was setting up the equipment D. Winfield was riding a horse 4.From the passage, we know that Winfield was _(A)_. A. an ordinary man B. a superstar C. an actor D. a rich man 5.When people recognized Winfield, he felt _(D)_.A. excited B. happy C. interested D. uncomfortable Passage 3A foreigners first impression of the U.S. is likely to be that everyone is in a rush-often under pressure. City people appear always to be hurrying to get where they are going restlessly, seeking attention in a store, and elbowing others as they try to complete their errands （任务）. Racing through daytime meals is part of the pace of life in this country.Working time is considered precious. Others in public eating places are waiting for you to finish so that they too can be served and get back to work within the time allowed. Each person hurries to make room for the next person. If you dont, waiters will hurry you.You also find drivers will be abrupt and that people will push past you. You will miss smiles, brief conversations, and small courtesies with strangers. Dont take it personally. This is because people value time highly, and they resent someone else “wasting” it beyond a certain courtesy point. The view of time affects the importance we attach to patience. In the American system of values, patience is not a high priority. Many of us have what might be called “a short fuse.” We begin to move restlessly about if we feel time is slipping away without some returnbe this in terms of pleasure, work value, or rest. Those coming from lands where time is looked upon differently may find this matter of pace to be one of their most difficult adjustments in both business and daily life.Many newcomers to the States will miss the opening courtesy of a business call, for example, they will miss the ritual socializing that goes with a welcoming cup of tea or coffee they may be traditional in their own country. They may miss leisurely business chats in a caf or coffeehouse. Normally, Americans do not assess their visitors in such relaxed surroundings over prolonged small talks. We seek out evidence of past performance rather than evaluate a business colleague through social courtesies. Since we generally assess and probe professionally rather than socially, we start talking business very quickly. (348 words)21. Which of the following statements is wrong? _(D)_A. Americans seem to be always under pressure.B. Americans attach less importance to patience.C. Americans dont care much about ritual socializing.D. Americans are impolite to their business colleagues.22. In the fourth paragraph, “a high priority” means _(B)_.A. a less important thingB. a first concernC. a good businessD. an attractive gift23. Americans evaluate a business colleague _(D)_.A. through social courtesyB. through prolonged business talksC. by establishing business relationsD. by learning about their past performance24. This passage mainly talks about _(A)_.A. how Americans treasure their timeB. how busy Americans are every dayC. how Americans do business with foreignersD. what American way of life is like25. We can infer from the passage that the authors tone in writing is _(C)_.A. criticalB. ironicalC. appreciativeD. objectivePassage 4A man got into a train and found himself sitting opposite a woman who seemed to be about thirty-five years old. Soon they began talking to each other, and the man said to her, “Do you have a family?”“Yes, I have one son, ” the woman answered.“Oh, really?” said the man. “Does he smoke?”“No, hes never touched a cigarette,” the woman replied.“Thats good,” the man continued. “I dont smoke either. Tobacco is very bad to ones health. And does your son drink wine?”“Oh, no,” the woman answered at once. “Hes never drunk a drop of it.”“Then I congratulate you, maam,” the said. “And does he ever come home late at night?”“No, never,” his neighbor answered. “He goes to bed immediately after dinner every night.”“Well,” the man said, “hes a wise young man. How old is he?”“Hes six months old today. But he will grow up to be a gentleman,” the woman replied proudly.1. What are the man and the woman talking about? (C)A. What a wise young man should be like.B. What a young a man shouldnt do.C. The womans son.D. The mans son.2. How does the woman feel about her son? (CA. He is still too young to do anything bad.B. He is a very good boy.C. He will grow up to be a wise young man.D. He is born wise.3. Where does the conversation take place? (A)A. On a train.B. At the womans home.C. In the street.D. At the mans home.4. Which of the following probably best describes the mans feeling at the end of the conversation? (C)A. Disappointed.B. Surprised.C. Amused.D. Annoyed.5. What cant you learn from the conversation? (C)A. The man didnt expect that the woman has a young boy.B. The man believes in proper behavior for the young.C. The woman is so proud of her son that she does not really understand what the mans questions mean.D. The woman is sure that her son wont do all the things the man mentions then he grows up.Passage 5 A young man who lived in London was in love with a beautiful girl. Soon she became his fiance （未婚妻）. The man was very poor while the girl was rich. The young man wanted to make her a present on her birthday. He wanted to buy something beautiful for her, but he had no idea how to do it, as he had very little money. The next morning he went to a shop. There were many fine things there: gold watches, diamond but all these things were too expensive. There was one thing he could not take his eyes off. It was a beautiful vase. That was a suitable present for his fiance. He had been looking at the vase for half an hour when the manager of the shop noticed him. The young man looked so pale, sad and unhappy that the manager asked what had happened to him.The young man told him everything. The manager felt sorry for him and decided to help him. A bright idea struck him. The manager pointed to the corner of the shop. To his great surprise the young man saw a vase broken into many pieces. The manager said: When the servant enters the room, he will drop it.On the birthday of his fiance the young man was very excited.Everything happened as had been planned. The servant brought in the vase, and as he entered the room, he dropped it. There was horror on everybodys face. When the box was opened, the guests saw that each piece was packed separately.1.The story took place _(B)_.A. in France B. in England C. in Germany D. in the United States 2.Which of the following is true? (A)A. The young mans family was poor while the beautiful girl is rich. B. A rich young man fell in love with a beautiful girl. C. The young man loved the girl but the girl didnt love him. D. The young man had enough money to buy a beautiful vase. 3.Why did the young man want to buy a present for the girl? (C)A. He wanted to give her a Christmas present.B. He fell in love with her. C. Her birthday was coming soon. D. They were going to get married. 4.Why did the shop manager come to talk to the young man? (B)A. He looked very excited. B. He looked pale and sad. C. He was poorly dressed. D. He said he wanted to buy a beautiful vase. 5.On the birthday of his fiance, the young man was excited because _(D)_.A. the girl was in love with him B. the girl looked beautiful C. the girl was happy and gay D. he was not sure whether his trick would be seen through Passage 6All over the world people enjoy sports. Sports help to keep people healthy, happy and help them to live longer.Sports change with the season. People play different games in winter and summer.Games and sports often grow out of peoples work and everyday activities. The Arabs use horses or camels in much of their everyday life; they use them in their sports, too.Some sports are so interesting that people everywhere go in for them. Football, for example, has spread around the world. Swimming is popular in all countries near the sea or in those with many rivers.Some sports or games go back to thousands of years ago, like running or jumping. Chinese boxing, for example, has a very long history. But basketball and volleyball are rather new. Neither one is a hundred years old yet. People are inventing new sports or games all the time.People from different countries may not be able to understand each other, but after a game they often become good friends. Sports help to train a persons character. One learns to fight hard but fight fair, to win without pride and to lose with grace.1.According to this passage we know that _(D)_.A. people began to play about one hundred years ago B. about 100 years ago people ran or jumped when they playedC. basketball has a longer history than volleyball D. not all the games have a long history 2.The writer didnt tell us in this passage that _(A)_.A. basketball was invented in AmericaB. sports change with the season C. games and sports often grow out of peoples work and everyday activities D. football is played all over the world 3.People all over the world enjoy sports because _(D)_. A. sports are interesting B. sports help to keep people healthy, happy and to live longer C. sports help to train ones character D. all of the above 4.From this passage we can see that _(D)_.A. sports and games are unimportant things that people doB. sports and games should be treated only as amusement C. sports and games are only useful to the oldD. according to the author sports and games are significant to our life in many respects 5.Whats the writers attitude towards sports? (A)A. positive B. negative C. neutral D. critical Passage 7American cities are similar to other cities around the world. In every country, cities reflect the values of the culture. Cities contain the very best aspects of a society: opportunities for education, employment, and entertainment. They also contain the very worst parts of a society: violent crime, racial conflict (种族冲突) and poverty. American cities are changing, just as American society is changing. After World War , city residents became wealthier, more prosperous. They had more children. They needed more space. They moved out of their apartments in the city to buy their own homes. They bought houses in the suburbs, areas near a city where people live. These are areas without many offices or factories. During the 1950s the American dream was to have a house in the suburbs. Now things are changing. The children of the people who left the cities in 1950s are now adults. They, unlike their parents, want to live in the cities. Many young professionals, doctors, lawyers, and executives, are moving back into the city. Many are single; others are married, but often without children. They prefer the city to the suburbs because their jobs are there; they are afraid of the fuel shortage; or they just enjoy the excitement and opportunities which the city offers. A new class is moving into the city - a wealthier, more mobile class.Only a few years ago, people thought that the older American cities were dying. Some city residents now see a bright, new future. Others see only problems and conflicts. One thing is sure: Many dying cities are alive again. 16. Para. 1 _(B)_. A) explains why American cities are changing B) is a description of cities C) shows that American cities have many problems D) says: American cities contain the very best aspects of a society 17. In the 1950s the American dream was _(D)_. A) to have a color TV set B) to have a big car C) to buy an apartment in the city D) to buy a new house in the suburbs 18. In Para. 3, the author gives _(B)_ reasons why people want to live in cities. A) two B) three C) four D) five 19. According to the article, cities are _(B)_. A) sick B) alive again C) living D) dying 20. The movement of people to and from the city can explain _(A)_. A) social changes B) violent crime C) racial conflict D) the best aspects of a societyPassage 8Barbara Jordan, one of the most respected lawyers and politicians in the United States, was the first black woman from the South to be elected to Congress. She was born in Houston, Texas, on February 21, 1936. Right from the start, she set high standards for herself in school In high school, Miss Jordan decided to become a lawyerAt Texas Southern University she studied political science and history and graduated in 1956 at the top of her classBy 1959 she had earned a law degree from Boston University Miss Jordan began practicing law at her parents dining room tableThree years later she opened her own office. The restless Miss Jordan first broke into politics in 1966，becoming the first black woman elected to the Texas senate. After an impressive record as a state senator, she entered the national scene In 1972 she wo