大学英语二级期末考试阅读理解命题范围

1、Charlie Chaplin has broken all records in making people laugh. No one has so set a whole world laughing as the little man with the walking stick and the oversized shoes.Much has been written about Chaplin's art and his career, and opinions have ranged widely. But perhaps those who called him &qu

2、ot;the truest human being of our time" came closest to the truth. Those who have called him a genius stress the timeless and commonqualities in his work. It is an art filled with sad elements and deep human feeling, with which an audience cannot help but becomeinvolved. It is for these reasons,

3、 I believe, that the figure of Charlie has attracted generation after generation.All the writers who give accounts of Chaplin's life agree that Charlie's unhappy early years in the area in London where houses were dirty and worn had a great influence on his development and on the type of fil

4、ms he made. Chaplin himself emphasizes it in his memoirs （ 回忆录 ）. The more one reads about his earliest period, the more one tends to agree. Indeed, his suffering youth had a lasting influence on him.Chaplin was never afraid to deal with subjects causing much disagreementin his films. He gave a humo

5、rous performance on war only a few weeks before the American soldiers camehomefrom World War I in 1918. This was regarded as madness, but the performance was well received. So perfectly did it hit the nail on the head that even the returning soldiers found it impossible to hate it and deeply appreci

6、ated this short and humorous performance on what for them had been an unpleasant reality. Chaplin gave numerous performances attacking capital governments, satirizing （ 讽刺 ） the cruelty of the machine age, and even making fun of Hitler.Years after his death, the funny films of motion picture actor a

7、nd director Charlie Chaplin continue to be well loved. He is particularly well known for his success as a creator of humorous presentations that make fun of people, the establishment, or networks.1. All of the following about Charlie Chaplin are true except A. he was born in the USAB. he was a great

8、 film actorC. he had an unhappy early lifeD. he made fun of Hitler in one of his films2. According to the author, Charlie Chaplin has been well loved by generation after generation because .A. he set the whole world laughingB. his performances get people involvedC. his works appeal to people in diff

9、erent periodsD. both B and C3. According to the writers of Charlie Chaplin's life history, had a strong influence on the type of films he made.A. the society in which he livedB. the audience who praised and admired himC. his unhappy early years in the poor area in LondonD. those who called him a

10、 genius4. According to the passage, which of the following is true?A. There are timeless qualities in Chaplin's work because he didn't involve himself in political affairs.B. Chaplin became well loved years after his death.C. Chaplin's performance is funny without any sad elements.D. Cha

11、plin's films are the combinations of funny and sad elements.5. This passage was .A. written by Charlie ChaplinB. written about Charlie ChaplinC. advertising one of Charlie Chaplin's filmsD. written for students to learn film-makingPassage 2Although Beethoven could sit down and compose easily

12、, his really great compositions did not come easily at all. They cost him a great deal of hard work and he always found it hard to satisfy himself.When he was 28, he began to notice a strange noise in his ears. As it grew worse, he went to see doctors, and was told that he was going deaf. This was t

13、oo much for any composer to bear. Beethoven was without hope; he was sure that he was going to die. He went to the countryside where he wrote a long good-bye letter to his brothers, describing how sad and lonely his deafness made him.He longed to die, and said to death, "Come when you will; I s

14、hall meet you bravely."In fact, Beethoven did something braver than dying. He gathered his courage and went on writing music, though he could hear what he wrote more and more faintly. He wrote the music for which we remember him best after he became deaf. Thismusic was very different from any t

15、hat had been composed before. Instead of the artistic and beautiful music that earlier composers hadwritten for their richlisteners, Beethoven wrote stormy, exciting music which reminds us of his troubled and courageous （ 勇敢的 ） life. His Heroic （ 英雄的 ） Symphony（ 交响乐 ） and Fifth Symphony both show hi

16、s courage in struggling with his fate.In time he went completely deaf, but he wrote more creatively than ever, for he could "hear" his music in his mind. He was lonely and often unhappy but in spite of this, he often wrote joyful music, such as his last symphony, the Ninth. Because of his

17、courage and strong will to triumph, his music has given joy and encouragement to millions of people.1. How did Beethoven's deafness affect him?A. It killed him.B. It stopped his writing music.C. It drove him mad.D. It helped him create great music.2. Which of the following music works written by

18、Beethoven was joyful?A. No. 9 Symphony.B. No. 7 Symphony.C. No. 5 Symphony.D. No. 3 Symphony.3. Beethoven longed to die because .A. he had told death he would meet it bravelyB. he felt his deafness was too much for him to bear as a composerC. he wouldn't be able to write music for rich listeners

19、 after becoming deaf D. he wouldn't be able to support his family4. Which of the following is the best title for this passage?A. Music and SymphonyB. Hard to SatisfyC. The Music of FateD. Deafness in Music.5. According to the passage, which of the following is true?A. Whenhe was partly deaf, Bee

20、thoven's music became more and more gentle.B. His music became more and more artistic although he was deaf.C. He wrote fainter and fainter music after he went deaf.D. He composed exciting and encouraging music that reflected his struggle with his fate.Passage 3English food is thought of poorly i

21、n other countries. This is most probably because foreigners in England are often obliged （不得不 ） to eat in the morefast-food type of restaurant. Here it is necessary to prepare food rapidly in large amounts, and the taste of the food inevitably suffers, though its quality, from the point of view of n

22、ourishment （ 营养 ）, is quite satisfactory. Still, it is rather dull and not always pleasantly presented. Moreover, the Englishman eating in a cheap or medium price restaurant is usually in a hurry （at least at lunch）, and a meal eaten in a leisurely way in pleasant surroundings is always far more enj

23、oyable than a meal taken quickly in a business-like environment.In general, it is possible to get a good meal at a reasonable price; in fact, such a meal may be less expensive than similar food in other countries. For those with money to spare, there are restaurants that compare favorably with the b

24、est in any country.In many countries breakfast is a snack （ 点心 ） rather than a meal, but the typical English breakfast is a full meal. Somepeople have a bowl of hot or cold cereal（ 谷物 ） to begin with. Then comes a large and filling course, usually cooked, such as bacon （ 腊肉 ） and eggs, or some other

25、 type of meat. Yorkshire ham （火腿 ） is also a breakfast many people enjoy. Afterwards comes toast, with butter and marmalade （ 果子酱 ）, and perhaps some fruit. Tea or coffee is drunk with the meal. Many English people now take such a full breakfast only on Sunday morning.1. Food in the more fast-food t

26、ype of restaurant in Britain is alwaysA. served in large amountsB. very pleasant in appearanceC. quite acceptable for foreignersD. not so delicious2. According to the passage, English food is in terms ofnourishment.A. actually quite satisfactoryB. not good at allC. always very simpleD. always taken

27、in pleasant surroundings despite its poor taste3. Foreigners in Britain always choose to A. eat the most typical foodB. have a full breakfast every dayC. buy the least expensive foodD. have their meals in the more fast-food type of restaurant4. Which of the following statements is probably true?A. E

28、nglishmen always talk about time while eating.B. The same meal would be more enjoyable if eaten in better surroundings.C. It's almost impossible for any British restaurant to rank among the best in the world.D. People can hardly get enough food at a reasonable price in Britain.5. Which of the fo

29、llowing statements is probably NOT true?A. Many Englishmen have a full breakfast only once a week.B. Typical breakfast in Britain is a meal rather than a snack.C. Englishmen are so stuck in their old ways that they have a full breakfast every day.D. English people always have tea or coffee with a fu

30、ll breakfast insteadof fruit juice.Passage 4Television carries more national advertising than any other medium in the United States. The same is true in some smaller countries such as Spain and Portugal, where it is the only medium reaching a general national audience. In many countries, (Sweden and

31、 Denmark, for example) the state-owned television accepts no advertising. In many other countries the amount of commercial (商业广告 ) time is very much limited, as in France, Germany, and Italy. Russian state-owned television began accepting a limited amount of advertising in 1988.The chief reason that

32、 television is so well liked among United States advertisers is that it reaches a vast number of people at the same time. While it can cost well over 100,000 dollars, a 30-second commercial on network television can be seen and heard by as many as 25 million viewers. For companies that must make pro

33、spects aware of their products and convince them of their benefits immediately, there is nothing as efficient as television advertising.Because it employs motion as well as words, pictures, sounds, and music, television is a valuable medium for products that lend themselvestodemonstration. No other

34、medium is as effective in showing how quickly an automobile can move or how well a certain type of wristwatch will stand up under heavy use and continue to run. In the same way, it is an ideal medium for showing how some products can make a person feel better about him- or herself, such as long-dist

35、ance telephone calls.1. According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?A. There is less advertising on TV in Spain than in Sweden.B. One can never see any commercial on TV in Denmark since it is not accepted at all.C. The amount of commercial time is very much limited in most Eu

36、ropean countries.D. French people don't have to worry about being troubled by commercials.2. According to the passage, what is the main reason United States advertisers like television so much?A. It communicates information more quickly.B. Every household has at least one TV set.C. It communicat

37、es information to a vast number of people at the same time.D. American people love watching TV more than reading.3. The word prospects in the 2nd paragraph means .A. potential customersB. competitorsC. working staff at TV stationsD. partners4. Which of the following is employed in TV advertising?A.

38、MotionB. Sounds and music.C. PicturesD. All of the above.5. Which of the following statements is true?A. Television is as efficient as newspaper in demonstration benefits of a certain product or service.B. Television is a valuable medium in demonstrating benefits of a certain product or service.C. T

39、V commercials can hardly help to communicate feelings.D. People use advertising on TV whenever necessary because of its effectiveness.Passage 5Coffee is one of the most popular （ 流行的 ） drinks throughout the world today. In fact, according to some estimates, over 30% of all adults in the world drink

40、coffee at least once a day on the average.Coffee contains a kind of drug called caffeine （咖啡因 ）. Caffeine is achemical that stimulates （ 刺激 ） the nerves of the body. Drinking coffee tends to make people a little bit more awake at least for a short time because of this stimulating effect on the nervo

41、us system （系统 ）. A cup of coffee has, onthe average, about 3% caffeine in it.One story of the discovery of the coffee plant relates to this effect of caffeine. According to the story, coffee was discovered in East Africa. The story says that coffee was first found by a goat farmer named Kaldi. This

42、was about the year 850.Kaldi was leading his animals through the mountains and the goats were stopping repeatedly to eat the plants near the path. Suddenly, some of the goats started jumping up and down in a very strange way.Kaldi figured out that the goats were acting this way because of the plants

43、 they were eating. Kaldi himself tried eating some of the green beans （ 豆荚 ） that the goats had been eating. He, too, felt the stimulating effect of the beans.Kaldi wanted to prove what had happened, so he picked some of the beans and took them back to his home village, where he told his story. The

44、green bean got the name"Kaffa" and later "coffee" because the beans were discovered in a place called Kaffa in Africa.Then for years, people used to eat a few of the green Kaffa beans when they were in the mountains and needed extra energy to do their work. It was later found tha

45、t the coffee beans could be picked and then dried until they turned brown, and then they could be stored. If the beans were dried and stored, they could be used at any time.1. What is caffeine?A. a kind of seedB. a kind of plantC. a kind of drugD. a kind of nut2. What is the purpose of drinking coff

46、ee?A. To become more awake.B. To become more healthy.C. To become more happy.D. To become more clever.3. Coffee was first found by a .A. doctorB. farmerC. druggist （药剂师）D. chemist （化学家）4. How did the goats react after eating the plants?A. They fell asleep.B. They could not find their way home.C. The

47、y started jumping up and down.D. They wanted to eat more.5. Why did the green bean get the name "Kaffa"?A. Because Kaldi loved his home village very much.B. Because Kaldi's goats loved the green bean very much.C. Because the beans were discovered in a place by this name.D. Because the

48、beans could be picked and dried.Passage 6Pepys and his wife had asked some friends to dinner on Sunday, September2nd, 1666. The servants （女仆 ） were up very late on the Saturday evening, getting everything ready for the next day, and while they were busy they saw the glow of a fire start in the sky.

49、By 3 o'clock on the Sunday morning, the glow hadbecomeso bright that one of the servants, Jane, woke her master to see it. Pepys went to the window to watch it. It seemed fairly far away, so after a time he went back to bed. When he got up in the morning, it looked as though the firewas dying do

50、wn, though he could still see it. So he set to work to tidy （整理 ） his room and put his things back where he wanted them after the servants had cleaned everything.While he was doing this, Jane came in to say that she had heard that the fire was a bad one: three hundred houses had been burned down in

51、the night and the fire was still burning. Pepys went out to see for himself. He went to the Tower of London and climbed up on a high part of the building so that he could see what was happening. From there, Pepys could see that it was, indeed, a bad fire and that even the houses on London Bridge wer

52、e burning. Someone told him that the fire had started in a baker's house in Pudding Lane （小巷 ）, and thenthe flames （ 火焰 ） had quickly spread to the other houses in the narrow lane.So began the Great Fire of London, a fire that lasted nearly five days, destroyed most of the old city and ended, so

53、 it is said, at Pie Corner.1. The servants were up very late because .A. they were chattingB. they were having a partyC. they were preparing for a dinnerD. they were watching a fire2. Pepys went back to bed because .A. he was not interested in chatting about a fireB. he did not think the fire was an

54、ything specialC. the fire was far awayD. the fire had died down3. When Pepys was tidying his room and things, Jane came in and told him thatA. the fire was dying downB. the fire had been put outC. the fire was a bad oneD. no flame could be seen4. The fire started .A. on London BridgeB. in a baker

55、9;s houseC. because the lane was too narrow for people to come inD. because people could not get enough water to put it out5. Pie Corner was .A. the site of the Tower of LondonB. the site of the Great Fire of LondonC. the place where the fire endedD. the place where Pepys lived Passage 7The Universi

56、ty of London is one of Britain's largest centers for higher education, with a namefor international education. Located in one of the world's most dynamic（ 有活力有生气的） cities, we can offer international students a wideand exciting culturallife, as well as the very best course choice and teaching

57、.We offer our international students the ability to study and improve their commandof English, to ensure they get the best from the course of their choice.International students are assured of a successful and happy time while studying at the University of London. We have a Student Service office to

58、 helpyou at all times, and first year students are ensured a place in halls of residence if desired. Your teacher will give you personal instruction if required. Students can enjoy themselves in the free health center at any time.As a final point, we offer religious service rooms for those of all fa

59、iths and as London is an international city, we can put students in touch with many religious groups in this area. Finally, with excellent air, rail, and road links to the rest of Britain, Europe, and the world, getting here is easy.1. The University of London is located in a city .A. well known for pro