中考英语复习： 难度较大的阅读文章含答案（九）

Sleepless at Night It was a normal summer nightHumidity(湿气)hung in the thick air I couldnt go to sleep，partly because of my cold and partly because of my expectations for the next dayMy mum had said that tomorrow was going to be a surprise Sweat stuck to my aching bodyFinally, gathered enough strength to sit upI looked out of my small window into the nightThere was a big bright moon hanging in the sky, giving off a magic light I couldnt stand the pressure anymore，SO I did what I always do to make myself feel betterI went to the bathroom and picked up my toothbrush and toothpasteI cleaned my teeth as if there was no tomorrowBack and forth，up and down Then I walked downstairs to look for some signs of movement，some lifeGladiator, my cat, frightened me as he meowed(喵喵地唱出)his sad songHe was on t11e old orange couch(长沙发)，sitting up on his front legs，waiting for something to happenHe looked at me as if to say I“Im lonely, pet meI need a good hug(紧抱)”Even the couch begged me to sit on it In one movement I settled down onto the soft couchThis couch represented my parentsmarriage，my birth，and hundreds of other little events As I held Gladiator, my heart started beating heavilyMy mind was flooded with questions：Whats life? Am I really alive? Are you listening to me? Every time I moved my hand down Gladiators body，I had a new thought；each touch sang a different song I forgot all about the heat and the next days surpriseThe atmosphere was SO full of warmth and silence that I sank into its almsFalling asleep with the big cat in my arms，I felt all my worries slowly move away31 The author of the passage could not go to sleep partly becauseA it was too coldB it was too dryC he had a coldD he had a fever32 What was the weather like that night?A It was chillyB It was windyC It was fineD It was cloudy33 The author brushed his teeth over and overA to relieve himself of the pressureB to ease his toothacheC to shake off the coldD to remove the dirt34 Gladiator was the name ofA a movieB a petC a couchD a song35 What did thecouchrepresent?A A new thoughtB Different songsC A comfortable lifeD Happy memories第二篇Ancient Egypt Brought Down by Famine Even ancient Egypts mighty pyramid(金字塔)builders were powerless in the face of thefamine(饥荒)that helped bring down their civilization around 2180 BCNow evidence collected from mud deposited by the River Nile suggests that a shift in climate thousands of kilometers to the south was ultimately to blame-and the same or worse could happen today The ancient Egyptians depended on the Niles annual floods to irrigate their cropsBut any change in climate that pushed the African monsoons(季风)southwards out of Ethiopia would have reduced these floods Declining rains in the Ethiopian highlands would have meant fewer plants to stabilize the soilW1len rain did fall it would have washed large amounts of soil into the Blue Nile and into Egypt，along with sediment(沉积)from the White Nile Blue Nile mud has a different isotope(同位素)signature from that of the white NileSo by analyzing isotope differences in mud deposited in the Nile DeltaMichael Krom of LeedsUniversity worked out what proportion of sediment came from each branch of the river Krom reasons that during periods of drought，the amount of Blue Nile mud in the riverwould be relatively highHe found that one of these periods，from 4500 to 4200 years ago。immediately came before the fall of the Egypts old Kingdom The weakened waters would have been disaster for the EgyptiansChanges that affect food supply dont have to be very large to have a ripple(波浪)effect in societies，”says Bill Ryan of the Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory in New York Similar events today could be even more devastating，says team member Daniel Stanleyascientist from the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC“Anything humans do to shift the climate belts would have an even worse effect along the Nile system today because thepopulations have increased dramatically”36 Why does the author mention “Egypts mighty pyramid builders?A Because they once worked miraclesB Because they were wellbuiltC Because they were actually very weakD Because even they were unable to rescue their civilization37 Which of the following factors was ultimately responsible for bringing down thecivilization of ancient Egypt?A Change of climateB CorrulptionC floodD Population growth38 which of the following statements is true?A The White Nile is the trunk of the River NileB The White Nile is the trunk of the Blue NileC The White Nile is a branch of the Blue NileD The White Nile is a branch of the River Nile39 According to Krom，the Egypts o1d Kingdom fell A immediately after a period of drought B immediately after a period of flood C just before a drought struck D just before a flood struck40 The word “devastating” in the last paragraph could be best replaced by A “frustrating B “damaging C “defeating” D “worrying第三篇Technology Transfer in Germany When it comes to translating basic research into industrial success，few nations can match GermanySince the 1940s，the nations vast industrial base has been fed with a constant stream of new ideas and expertise from scienceAnd though German prosperity(繁荣)has faltered(衰退)over the past decade because of the huge cost of unifying east and west as well as the global economic decline，it still has an enviable(令人羡慕的)record for turning ideas into profit Much of the reason for that success is the Fraunhofer Society, a network of research institutes that exists solely to solve industrial problems and create sought-after technologiesBut today the Fraunhofer institutes have competitionUniversities are taking an ever larger role in technology transfer，and technology parks are springing up all overThese efforts are being complemented by the federal programs for pumping money into start-up companies. Such a strategy may sound like a recipe for economic success，but it is not without its critics. These people worry that favoring applied research will mean neglecting basic science， eventually starving industry of flesh ideasIf every scientist starts thinking like an entrepreneur(企业家)，the argument goes，then the traditional principles of university research being curiositydriven：free and widely available will sufferOthers claim that many of the programs to promote technology transfer are a waste of money because half the small businesses that are promoted are bound to go bankrupt within a few years. While this debate continues，new ideas flow at a steady rate from Germanys research networks，which bear famous names such as Helmholtz，Max Planck and LeibnizYet it is the fourth network，the Fraunhofer Society，that plays the greatest role in technology transfer Founded in 1949, the Fraunhofer Society is now EuropeS largest organization for applied technology，and has 59 institutes employing 1 2，000 peopleIt continues to growLast yearit swallowed up the Heinrich Hertz Institute for Communication Technology in BerlinToday, there are even Fraunhofers in the US and Asia1 What factor Can be attributed to German prosperity?A Technology transferB Good managementC Hard workD Fierce competition2 Which of the following is NOT true of traditional university research?A It is freeB It is profit-drivenC It is widely availableD It is curiositydriven3 The Fraunhofer Society is the largest organization for applied technology inA Asia B USA C Europe D Africa4 When was the Fraunhofer Society founded?A In 1940 B Last year C After the unification D In 19495 The word“expertisein line 3 could be best replaced by A “experts” B “scientists” C “scholars” D “special knowledge”31c该题问的是：该文的作者不能入睡的部分原因是什么?第二段的第一个句子是这么说的：我不能入睡，部分原因是感冒，部分原因是对第二天的期待。32C该题问的是：那天的天气怎么样?第一段的第一句是这么说的：这是一个普通的夏季里的夜晚。第三段的最后一句话说的是：一个巨大的明媚的月亮悬挂在天空，发出妖艳的光芒。可见，那天天气很好。33A该题问的是：作者不断地刷牙是为什么?第四段的第一句话是这么说的：我再也受不住这种压力了。于是我就去做我经常做的事，使得感觉好些。下面就谈到了刷牙。34B该题问的是：“Gladiator”是什么的名字?第五段的第二句话是这么说韵：Gladiator，我的猫，喵喵地唱出了它的悲哀的歌，把我吓了一跳。可见“Gladiator”是爱畜的名字。35D该题问的是：“couch”代表了什么?倒数第三段的第二个句子是这么说的：这个“躺椅，代表了我父母的婚姻、我的降临，以及许许多多其他的小的事件。不难看出，它代表的是愉快的记忆。36D这道题问的是：作者为什么提及“古埃及伟大的金字塔建筑者”?文章开头有这么一句话，中文意思是：即使古埃及伟大的金字塔建筑者面对那场在公元前2180年促使他们的文明毁灭的饥荒也无能为力。D说的是：即使是他们也不能挽救他们的文明。因此D是正确的答案。A说的是：他们曾创造过奇迹。B说的是：他们很强壮。C说的是：他们其实很弱。 37A这道题问的是：下面列出的几种因素中哪一种因素是造成古埃及文明毁灭的根本性因素。A说的是：气候变化。第一段中有这样一个子句：a shift in climatewas ultimately to blame最终归咎于气候的变化。在第一题的题解中，我们提到了“饥荒” 与“古埃及文明毁灭”的关系。但“饥荒”是表层的因素，“气候的变化”才是古埃及 文明毁灭的深层的因素。因此，A是正确的答案。B：腐败。c：水灾。D：人口增长。38D这道题问的是：下面列出的几种陈述哪一种是正确的?D说的是：白尼罗河是尼罗河的支流。第四段中的最后一句话是这么说的：worked out whatproportion of sediment came from each branch ofthe river找到了来自河的每条支流的沉积物的比例。这里的“河”是指“尼罗河”，“每条支流”回指上文所说的“青尼罗河”和“白尼罗河”。因此，D是正确的答案。A：白尼罗河是尼罗河的干流。B：白尼