新视野大学英语Reading Comprehension(新综3)

Reading Comprehension Multiple Choice Directions Read the following passages carefully and choose the best answer from the four choices marked A B C and D Passage 1 Psychics 通灵的人 are people who can get information about people places or situations through a sixth sense a sense that exists in addition to those of seeing hearing smelling tasting and touching They can use their psychic ability to heal people who are sick to give advice to give hints about the future and to do many other things And it s not just individuals who use psychics sometimes companies and governments use psychics too One year a company called Delphi and Associates earned 120 000 on the stock market with the help of psychics So how can I get some psychic help you may ask yourself Well you don t have to pay a lot of money to a professional psychic You can start by using your own psychic ability Psychic abilities are really just another sense similar to our other five senses The difference is that we never develop our psychic sense in the same way that we develop our other senses We train our eyes to see the difference between a V and a U we train our ears to hear the difference between a ch and a sh sound we can feel the difference between silk and leather we can smell and taste if milk is sour But our sixth sense our psychic sense seldom develops very much Because most of us ignore our psychic sense for so long it takes some time to develop it If you have never played soccer before you cannot expect to be a good player after three lessons It might take years to become really good Psychic ability works the same way 1 People use psychics A mainly to see the future B to make money C to see what one cannot usually see D for many reasons Correct answer D 2 learn to use their psychic ability A Many people B Many companies C Few people D Few governments Correct answer C 3 Psychic abilities A are similar to other senses B work in the same way as other senses C are different from other senses D work together with other senses Correct answer A 4 Our psychic sense seldom develops very much because A we never sense it B we never believe in it C we ignore it D we don t want to take time to train it Correct answer C 5 The attitude of the author towards psychic abilities is A positive B negative C critical D neutral Correct answer A Passage 2 It is not often realized that women held a high place in southern European societies in the 10th and 11th centuries As a wife the woman was protected by the setting up of a dowry 嫁妆 or decimum Admittedly the purpose of this was to protect her against the risk of being abandoned but in reality its function in the social and family life of the time was much more important The decimum was the wife s right to receive a tenth of all her husband s property The wife had the right to hold back consent in all transactions 交易 the husband would make And more than just a right the documents show that she enjoyed a real power of decision equal to that of her husband In no case do the documents indicate any degree of difference in the legal status of husband and wife The wife shared in the management of her husband s personal property but the opposite was not always true Women seemed perfectly prepared to defend their own inheritance against husbands who tried to exceed their rights and on occasion they showed a fine fighting spirit A case in point is that of Maria Vivas a Catalan woman of Barcelona Having agreed with her husband Miro to sell a field she had inherited for the needs of the household she insisted on compensation None being offered she succeeded in dragging her husband to the official in charge to have a contract as expected drawn up assigning her a piece of land from Miro s personal inheritance The unfortunate husband was obliged to agree as the contract says for the sake of peace Either through the dowry or through being hot tempered the Catalan wife knew how to win herself within the context of the family a powerful economic position 1 A decimum was A the wife s inheritance from her father B a gift of money to the new husband C a written contract D the wife s right to receive one tenth of her husband s property Correct answer D 2 In the society described in the passage the legal standing of the wife in marriage was A higher than that of her husband B lower than that of her husband C the same as that of her husband D higher than that of a single woman Correct answer C 3 What compensation did Maria Vivas get for the field A Some of the land Miro had inherited B A tenth of Miro s land C Money for household expenses D Money from Miro s inheritance Correct answer A 4 Could a husband sell his wife s inheritance A No under no circumstances B Yes whenever he wished to C Yes if she agreed D Yes if his father in law agreed Correct answer C 5 Which of the following is NOT mentioned as an effect of the dowry system A The husband had to share the power of decision in marriage B The wife was protected from being abandoned C The wife gained a powerful economic position D The husband was given control over his wife s property Correct answer D Passage 3 Some cynical experts feel that the automobile is bound to fall into disuse They see a day in the not too distant future when all autos will be abandoned Other authorities however think the auto is here to stay They hold that the car will remain a leading means of city travel in the immediate future The motorcar will undoubtedly change significantly over the next 30 years It should become smaller safer and more economical and should not be powered by the gasoline engine The car of the future should be far more pollution free than present models Regardless of its power source the auto in the future will still be the main source of traffic congestion 拥挤 in cities One proposed solution to this problem is the computerized highway system When the auto enters the highway system a retractable 可伸缩的 arm will drop from the auto and make contact with a rail which is similar to those powering subway trains electrically Once attached to the rail the car will become electrically powered from the system and control of the vehicle will pass to a central computer The computer will then monitor all of the car s movements The driver will use a telephone to dial instructions about his destination into the system The computer will calculate the best route and reserve space for the car all the way to the correct exit from the highway The driver will then be free to relax and wait for the buzzer 蜂鸣器 that will warn him of his coming exit It is estimated that a computerized highway will be able to handle 10 000 vehicles per hour compared with the 1 500 to 2 000 vehicles that can be carried by a present day highway 1 One significant improvement in the future car will probably be A its power source B its driving system C its monitoring system D its seating capacity Correct answer A 2 What is the author s main concern A How to make automobiles pollution free B How to abandon automobiles in the future C How to solve the problem of traffic jams D How to develop a computerized subway system Correct answer C 3 What provides autos with electric power in a computerized highway system A A rail B An engine C A retractable arm D A computer controller Correct answer A 4 In a computerized highway system all the driver needs to do is A keep in the right lane B wait to arrive at his destination C keep in constant touch with the computer center D inform the system of his destination by phone Correct answer D 5 What is the author s attitude toward the future of autos A Enthusiastic B Cynical C Optimistic D Cautious Correct answer C Passage 4 What should you think about in trying to find your career You are probably better at some school subjects than others These may show strengths that you can use in your work A boy who is good at mathematics can use that in an engineering career So it is important to know the subjects you do well in at school On the other hand you may not have any especially strong or weak subjects but your records show a general satisfactory standard Although not all subjects can be used directly in a job they may have indirect value A knowledge of history is not required for most jobs but if history is one of your good subjects you will have learned to remember facts and details This is an ability that can be useful in many jobs If you have had a part time job on Saturdays or in the summer think what you gained from it If nothing else you may have learned how to get to work on time to follow instructions and to get on with older workers You may have learned to give correct change in a shop for example Just as important you may become interested in a particular industry or career you see from the inside in a part time job Facing your weak points is also part of knowing yourself You may be all thumbs when you handle tools perhaps you are a poor speller or cannot add up a column of figures It is better to face any weaknesses than to pretend they do not exist Your school record for instance may not be too good yet it is an important part of your background You should not be apologetic about it but instead recognize that you will have a chance at a fresh start at work 1 Which of the following best sums up the first paragraph A The importance of doing well at school B Using school performance to help to choose a career C The importance of being good at all subjects D The indirect value of schoolwork Correct answer B 2 Which subject has indirect rather than direct use for a job A Mathematics B English C Engineering D History Correct answer D 3 The writer thinks that for a student to have a part time job is probably A a waste of time that could have been spent on study B useful for his future work C a good way to earn extra money D a good way to find out his weak points Correct answer B 4 According to the passage if a student s school record is not good he A will be a complete failure in his future work B will not be able to find a suitable job C will regret not having worked harder at school D may do well in his future work Correct answer D 5 The whole passage centers on A choosing a career according to what one is skilled in B acquiring knowledge by working hard at school C finding one s strong and weak points D developing one s useful abilities in school work Correct answer A Passage 5 The Norwegian Government is doing its best to keep the oil industry under control A new law limits exploring for oil to an area south of the southern end of the long coastline production limits have been laid down though these have already been raised and oil companies have not been allowed to employ more than a limited number of foreign workers But the oil industry is still suffering before getting over such problems And few people believe that the Government will be able to hold things back for long Ever since the war the Government has been carrying out a program of development in the area north of the Arctic Circle During the past few years this program has had a great deal of success But the oil industry has already started to draw people south and within a few years the whole northern policy could be in ruins The effects of the oil industry would not be limited to the north however With nearly 100 percent employment everyone can see a situation developing in which the service industries and the tourist industry will lose most of their workers to the oil industry Some smaller industries might even disappear altogether when it becomes cheaper to buy goods from abroad The real argument over oil is its threat to the Norwegians way of life Farmers and fishermen do not make up most of the population but they are an important part of it because Norwegians see in them many of the qualities that they regard with pride as essentially Norwegian 1 The Norwegian Government would prefer the oil industry to A provide more jobs for foreign workers B slow down the rate of its development C sell the oil produced abroad D develop more quickly than at present Correct answer B 2 The Government has tried to but people fear it won t stay that way for long A encourage the oil companies to discover new oil sources B prevent oil companies employing people from northern Norway C help the oil companies solve many of their problems D keep the oil industry to somewhat near its present size Correct answer D 3 According to the passage the oil industry might lead northern Norway to A the development of industry B a growth of population C the failure of the development program D the development of new towns Correct answer C 4 In the south one effect of the development of the oil industry might be A a large reduction in unemployment B a growth in the tourist industry C a reduction in the number of service industries D the development of a number of service industries Correct answer C 5 Norwegian farmers and fishermen have an important influence because A they form such a large part of Norwegian society B their lives and values represent the Norwegian ideal C their work is so useful to the rest of Norwegian society D they regard oil as a threat to the Norwegian way of life Correct answer B Passage 6 Sport is not only physically challenging but it can also be mentally challenging Criticism from coaches parents and other teammates as well as pressure to win can create an excessive amount of anxiety or stress for young athletes Stress can be physical emotional or psychological and research has indicated that it can lead to burnout 筋疲力尽 Burnout has been described as dropping or quitting of an activity that was at one time enjoyable The early years of development are critical years for learning about oneself The sport setting is one where valuable experiences can take place Young athletes can for example learn how to cooperate with others make friends and gain other social skills that will be used throughout their lives Coaches and parents should be aware at all times that their feedback 反馈 to youngsters can greatly affect their children Youngsters may take their parents and coaches criticisms to heart and find a flaw 缺陷 in themselves Coaches and parents should also be cautious that youth sport participation does not become work for children The outcome of the game should not be more important than the process of learning the sport and other life lessons In today s youth sport setting young athletes may be worrying more about who will win instead of enjoying themselves and the sport Following a game many parents and coaches focus on the outcome and find fault with youngster s performances Positive reinforcement should be provided regardless of the outcome Research indicates that positive reinforcement motivates and has a greater effect on learning than criticism Again criticism can create high levels of stress which can lead to burnout 1 An effective way to prevent the burnout of young athletes is A to make sports less competitive B to make sports more challenging C to reduce their mental stress D to increase their sense of success Correct answer C 2 According to the passage sport is positive for young people in that A it can help them learn more about society B it teaches them how to set realistic goals for themselves C it enables them to find flaws in themselves D it can provide them with valuable experiences Correct answer D 3 Many coaches and parents are in the habit of criticizing young athletes A without realizing criticism may destroy their self confidence B in order to make them remember life s lessons C believing that criticism is beneficial for their early development D so as to put more pressure on them Correct answer A 4 According to the passage parents and coaches should A help children to win every game B pay more attention to letting children enjoy sports C enable children to understand the positive aspect of sports D train children to cope with stress Correct answer B 5 The author s purpose in writing the passage is A to persuade young children not to worry about criticism B to stress the importance of positive reinforcement to children C to discuss the skill of combining criticism with encouragement D to teach young athletes how to avoid burnout Correct answer B Passage 7 If it was once the case that there were no second acts in American lives there are now not only second acts but third fourth and fifth ones This is not entirely unhealthy The belief that one shouldn t be judged by one s worst mistakes revives 恢复 careers that might otherwise have ended Thus Sergio Zyman rebounded from the failure of New Coke to lead the company to great success and landed on the cover of Fortune in a story headlined So You Fail Now Bounce Back That story put a new spin on screwing up If you haven t failed yet you probably will And for the benefit of your career you probably should Sometime in the 1990s though the notion of failure as the necessary preface to success reached its falling phase In this Hollywood led the way When the movie Showgirls was not successful in theaters its distributor MGM decided to actively sell it as a bad movie arranging midnight shows stocked with drag queens 男扮女装的男同性恋者 shouting the film s lines back at the screen The notion of shame in failure came to be seen as old fashioned and the redemption 补救 phase of a comeback grew shorter and shorter until it disappeared entirely As Hugh Grant taught us no matter how bad one s misconduct one can earn forgiveness through a modest chat on a national talk show Similarly Bob Dole didn t enter a Nixonian retreat after his political defeat he soon entered his new role as a salesman poking 戳 捅 gentle fun at his own inability to win The 1990s cultivation of an appreciation for failure was ideally timed since the 2000s have made failure epidemic Failure is not merely more common than success these days it s also more interesting 1 The best title that fits this passage is A How to turn failure into success B Failure is the new success C Failur