A
Jeanne Calment, a French woman, became a record breaker on 17 October of 1995, when at the age of 120 years and 238 days, she became the longest-lived human being on record. A Japanese man died in 1986 at the age of 120 years and 237 days.
Jeanne Calment lives in a small old people’s home in the south of France; her husband, her only child and her grandson have all died. She is nearly blind and deaf and is always in a wheelchair, but her doctor describes her as being more like a 90-year-old in good health than someone of 120. She still has a lively sense of humor. When asked on her 120th birthday what she expected of the future, she replied: A very short one. She also remarked that she thought the good Lord had forgotten all about her.
So what is the key to a long life? According to some doctors, diet, exercise and no smoking are the three important factors. Jeanne Calment has followed two of the tips(窍门). She has always eaten a healthy diet, and she used to do exercises every day until she broke her leg at the age of 115. However, until recently she drank two glassed of strong red wine a day, and she does smoke (now only a little). Besides, Jeanne Calment might have got very good genes(基因) from her parents. Her father lived to the age of 94 and her mother to 86.
A local lawyer bought her house when she was 80 under an agreement that he would pay her some money every year until her death. It must have seemed a good move at the time, but so far the lawyer has paid her at least three times the value of the house. Every year on her birthday Jeanne Calment sends him a card saying:
Sorry, I’m still alive!
1. How does Jeanne Calment feel about her old age?
A. She is miserable and unhappy. B. She is cheerful and humorous.
C. She would like to live much longer. D. She feels she is going to die very soon. 2. Jeanne Calment owes her good health and long life to _______.
A. smoking only a little every day B. her giving up smoking and drinking C. drinking two glasses of strong red wine every day
D. the good genes from her parents, a healthy diet and some exercises
3. Which of the following could best replace the word “move” in the fourth paragraph?
A. deal B. trick C. march D. sport
4. Why does Jeanne Calment say “Sorry, I’m still alive” to the local lawyer every year on her birthday?
A. Because she had an agreement at 80 with the lawyer which was to her advantage. B. Because she has asked the lawyer to pay her more rent than they first agreed. C. Because the lawyer has paid her much more money than the value of the house.
D. Because the house she sold to the lawyer isn’t worth the money he has already paid.
B
The most frightening words in the English language are, “Our computer is down.” You hear it more and more when you are on business. The other day I was at the airport waiting for a ticket to Washington and the girl in the ticket office said, “I’m sorry, I can’t sell you a ticket. Our computer is
down.”
“If your computer is down, just write me out a ticket.”
“I can’t write you out a ticket. The computer is the only one allowed to do so.”
I looked down on the computer and every passenger was just standing there drinking coffee and staring at the black screen. Then I asked her, “What do all you people do?”
“We give the computer the information about your trip, and then it tells us whether you can fly with us or not.”
“So when it goes down, you go down with it.” “That’s good, sir.”
“How long will the computer be down?” I wanted to know.
“I have no idea. Sometimes it’s down for 10 minutes, sometimes for two hours. There’s no way we can find out without asking the computer, and since it’s down it won’t answer us.”
After the girl told me they had no backup computer, I said. “Let’s forget the computer. What about your planes? They’re still flying, aren’t they?”
“I couldn’t tell without asking the computer.”
“Maybe I could just go to the gate and ask the pilot if he’s flying to Washington, ” I suggested. “I wouldn’t know what gate to send you to. Even if the pilot was going to Washington, he couldn’t take you if you didn’t have a ticket.”
“Is there any other airline flying to Washington within the next few hours?”
“I wouldn’t know, ” she said, pointing at the dark screen. “Only ‘IT’ knows. ‘It’ can’t tell me.” By this time there were quite a few people standing in lines. The word soon spread to other travelers that the computer was down. Some people went white, some people started to cry and still others kicked their luggage.
5. The best title for the article is _______.
A. When the Computer Is Down B. The Most Frightening Words C. The Computer of the Airport D. Asking the Computer
6. What could the girl in the ticket office do for the passengers without asking the computer?
A. She could sell a ticket. B. She could write out a ticket.
C. She could answer the passengers’ questions. D. She could do nothing. 7. Why do you think they had not a backup computer?
A. Because it was easy down. B. Because it was very expensive.
C. Because it was not advanced enough. D. Because it was not as big as the main computer. 8. The last paragraph suggests that _______.
A. a modern computer won’t be down. B. computers can take the place of humans
C. sometimes a computer may bring suffering to people D. there will be great changes in computers
C
June 26, 2000 — the Human Genome(基因组) Project, a great $3 billion, 15-year task aimed at drawing the genetic map of humans, is now more than 90 percent completed. The scientific and
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medical communitiesare very excited about the chances genetic research provides for getting rid of diseases and prolonging human life. But those communities and policy makers also are careful about the scientific door they are opening as the project uncovers the mysteries of life.
For the last few years, the genetic advances in the developing field of biotechnology have provides material for all kinds of work, but the developments of modern science in unlocking the secrets of the human genetic code have opened a world of possibilities for human health, as well as for the popular imagination.
While European and Japanese researchers are making rapid progress in decoding human DNA, the leading organization for genetic research is in the United States, which began in 1990, is “unlocking the code” of the human body to learn how to defeat fataldiseases. Already, the Human Genome Project has become widely known and praised for finding the genes connected with terrible diseases as yet(迄今), and making progress toward separating the genes that show a sign of breast cancer or AIDS.
Once these genes are found and studied, researchers can develop new ways to attack infections, and genetic diseases. Medical companies are very interested in mapping the human genome, as they expect to develop a lot of new drugs for these illnesses.
9. Why did the scientists work hard at mapping the human genome? A. Because the human genome can destroy many illnesses.
B. Because the human genome's completion can help them get rid of many diseases. C. Because they wanted to be better known than others.
D. Because the human genome can provide a lot of chances of work. 10. Which country studied the genes most rapidly in the world? A. Japan. B. Germany. C. The United States. D. China. 11. Which of the following is NOT true?
A. If the genes can be found, scientists can study many new ways to cure illnesses. B. The scientists have made great progress in connecting the genes with the cancers. C. Many medical companies show great interest in drawing the human genome map. D. The United States began the Genes Study early in the 19th century.
12 The author suggests that the Human Genome Project can cause _______.
A. the policy makers to feel very worried and careful B. the scientists to work harder
C. many people to find work easily D. a lot of companies to produce many new drugs 13. The main idea of this article is about _______.
A. unlocking genetic code B. the genes' discovery
C. the great human genome D. the genes and the scientists
D
With only about 1, 000 pandas left in the world, China is desperately trying to clone(克隆) the animal and save the endangered species(物种). That’s a move similar to what a Texas A & M University researchers have been undertaking for the past five years in a project called “Noah’s Ark”. Noah’s Ark is aimed at collecting eggs, embryos(胚胎), semen and DNA of endangered animals and storing them in liquid nitrogen. If certain species should become extinct, Dr. Duane Kraemer, a
professor in Texas A & M’s College of Veterinary Medicine, says there would be enough of the basic building blocks to reintroduce the species in the future.
It is estimated that as many as 2, 000 species of mammals, birds reptiles will become extinct in over 100 years. The panda, native only to China, is in danger of becoming extinct in the next 25 years.
This week, Chinese scientists said they grew an embryo by introducing cells from a dead female panda into the egg cells of a Japanese white rabbit. They are now trying to implant the embryo into a host animal.
The entire procedure could take from three to five years to complete.
“The nuclear transfer(核子移植) of one species to another is not easy, and the lack of available(capable of being used) panda eggs could be a major problem,” Kraemer believes. “They will probably have to do several hundred transfers to result in one pregnancy (having a baby). It takes a long time and it’s difficult, but this could be groundbreaking science if it works. They are certainly not putting any live pandas at risk, so it is worth the effort,” adds Kraemer, who is one of the leaders of the Project at Texas A& M, the first-ever attempt at cloning a dog.
“They are trying to do something that’s never been done, and this is very similar to our work in Noah’s Ark. We’re both trying to save animals that face extinction. I certainly appreciate their effort and there’s a lot we can learn from what they are attempting to do. It’s a research that is very much needed.”
14. The aim of “Noah’s Ark” project is to _______. A. make efforts to clone the endangered pandas B. save endangered animals from dying out C. collect DNA of endangered animals to study D. transfer the nuclear of one animal to another
15. According to Professor Kraemer, the major problem in cloning pandas would be the lack of _____.
A. available panda eggs B. host animals C. qualified researchers D. enough money 16. The best title for the passage may be _______.
A. China’s Success in Pandas Cloning B. The First Cloned Panda in the World
C. Exploring the Possibility to Clone Pandas D. China —the Native Place of Pandas Forever
17. From the passage we know that _______.
A. Kraemer and his team have succeeded in cloning a dog B. scientists try to implant a panda’s egg into a rabbit
C. Kraemer will work with Chinese scientists in clone researches D. about two thousand of species will probably die out in a century
ETo face the music
Like every language, American English is full of special expressions, phrases that come from the day-to-day life of the people and develop in their own way. Our expression today is “to face the
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music”.
When someone says, “well, I guess I’ll have to face the music,” it does not mean he’s planning to go to the concert. It is something far less pleasant, like being called in by your boss to explain why you did this and did that, and why you didn’t do this or that. Sour music indeed, but it has to be faced. At sometime or another, every one of us has had to face the music, especially as children. We can all remember father’s angry voice, “I want to talk to you.” and only because we did not obey him. What an unpleasant business it was!
The phrase “to face the music” is familiar to every American, young and old. It is at least 100 years old. And where did this expression come from? The first explanation comes from the American novelist, James Fenimore Looper. He said, in 1851, that the expression was first used by actors while waiting in the wings to go on the stage. When they got their cue to go on, they often said, “Well, it’s time to face the music.” And that was exactly what they did — facing the orchestra which was just below them. And an actor might be frightened or nervous as he moved on to the stage in front of an audience that might be friendly or perhaps hostile, especially if he forgot his lines. But he had to go out. If he did not, there would be no play. So the expression “to face the music” come to mean “having to go through something, no matter how unpleasant the experience might be, because you knew you had no choice.”
Other explanations about the expression go back to the army. When the men faced an inspection by their leader, the soldiers would be worried about how well they looked. Was their equipment clean, shinny enough to pass the inspection? Still the men had to go out and face the music of the band as well as the inspection. What else could they do?
Another army explanation is more closely related to the idea of facing the results and accepting the responsibility for something that should not have been done. As, for example when a man is forced out of the army because he did something terrible, he is dishonored. The band does not play. Only the drums tap a sad, slow beat. The soldier is forced to leave, facing such music as it is and facing the back of his horse.
18. How many ways does the phrase “to face the music” comes from? A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 D. 4 19 What’s the meaning of “to face the music?”
A. To face something far less pleasant. B. To face the stage. C. To face the back of one’s horse. D. To face one’s leader. 20. Which of the following is a situation of facing the music?
A. When we are playing basketball. B. When we are making a speech.
C. When we are having a party. D. When we are talking with somebody. 21. The underlined word “hostile” means _______. A. unfriendly B. dislike C. unkind D. unnecessary F
E very object tells a story. Even the most ordinary objects can present to us powerful images. Sometimes it is the ordinary nature of these objects that actually makes them so extraordinary. Such is the case with an old leather shoe in a museum in Alaska. At first glance it does not look like much.
It is a woman’s shoe of a style popular in the 1890s. But what is unique(独特的) about this shoe is where it was found. It was discovered on the Checkout Pass, the famous trail used by the people seeking gold in Alaska. Who it belonged to or why it was left there is not known. Was it perhaps dropped by accident as the woman climbed up the 1500 stairs carved outface? Or did she throw away goods that she didn’t need in order to travel lighter?
Over 100, 000 people with “gold fever” made this trip hoping to become millionaires. Few of them understood that on their way they would have to cross a harsh wildness. Unprepared for such a dangerous journey, many died of starvation and exposure to the cold weather.
The Canadian government finally started requiring the gold seekers to bring one ton of supplies with them. This was thought to be enough for a person to survive for one year. They would carry their supplies in backpacks(背包) each weighing up to fifty pounds; it usually took at least 40 trips to get everything to the top and over the pass. Whoever dropped the shoe must have been a brave and determined woman. Perhaps she was successful and made it to Alaska. Perhaps she had to turn back in defeat. No one will ever know for sure, but what we do know is that she took part in one of the greatest adventures in the 19th century.
22. The ordinary woman’s leather shoe is considered unusual because _______. A. it was an important clue to life in the past B. it was found on a famous trail C. it at one time belonged to a VIP D. it was a fashionable shoe at that time 23According to this passage, many people who went to Alaska _______. A. eventually became millionaires B. brought with them many shoes C. had conflicts with the Eskimos D. were not properly equipped
24The Canadian government made gold seekers bring one year’s supplies with them so that ___. A. they would not die of hunger and cold
B. the army would have enough food for fighting a war C. they would change these goods with the Eskimos D. the supplies would make Alaska rich
25. No matter what happened to the woman who owned the shoe, _______.
A. she must have lived a happy life B. she certainly dropped the shoe on purpose C. her adventurous spirit is definitely admired D. her other shoes were equally fashionable G
The Erie Canal was the first important national waterway built in the US. It crossed New York from Buffalo on Lake Erie Troy to Albany on the Hudson River. It joined the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. The canal served as a route over which industrial goods could flow into the west, and materials could pour into the east. The Erie Canal helped New York develop into the nation’s largest city.
The building of the canal was paid for entirely by the state of New York. It cost $ 7 143 789, but it soon gained its price many times over. Between 1825, when the canal was opened, and 1882, when toll charges(过运河费) were stopped, the state collected $121 461 891.
For a hundred years before the Erie was built, people had been talking about a canal which could join the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean. The man who planned the Erie Canal and carried
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the plan through was De Witt Clinton. Those who were against the canal laughingly called it “Clinton’s Ditch(沟)”. Clinton talked and wrote about the canal and drew up plans for it. He and Governor Morris went to Washington in 1812 to ask for help for the canal, but they were unsuccessful.
Clinton became governor of New York in 1817, and shortly afterwards, on July 4, 1817, broke ground for the canal in Rome, N.Y. The first part of the canal was completed in 1820. As the canal grew, towns along its course developed fast. The length of the canal is 363 miles.
26. We can see that the Erie Canal ________. A. joined the Great Lakes together
B. crossed New York from north to south
C. played an important part in developing New York City D. was the first waterway built in the US
27. It can be inferred that ________ into the Atlantic Ocean.
A. the Great Lakes flow B. the Hudson River flows C. Lake Erie flows D. the Erie Canal flows 28. Which of the following is true according to the passage? A. The Erie Canal brought profits of over $114, 000, 000. B. It’s 363 miles from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.
C. The West was more advanced than the East when the canal was built. D. Many other states helped New York built the canal.
29. Which of the following is true according to the passage? A. Clinton broke ground for the canal at both ends.
B. Clinton started building the canal before he became governor. C. All parts of the canal were completed at the same time. D. Construction of the canal took eight years. H
When you are in another country, it is important to know the language, but it is equally important to know how to communicate nonverbally(非语言地), before saying anything by making gestures. According to a pioneer in nonverbal communication, only 30 to 35 percent of our communication is verbal. When people don't know the language, the most common way to communicate is through gestures. However, many gestures have different meanings, or no meaning at all, in different parts of the world.
In the United States, for example, nodding your head up and down means “yes”. In some parts of Greece and Turkey, however, this motion can mean “no”. In Southeast Asia, nodding your head is a polite way of saying “I've heard you”.
In ancient Rome, when the emperor wanted to spare someone's life, he would put his thumb up. Today in the United States, when someone puts his / her thumb up, it means “Everything is all right”. However, in Sardinia and Greece, the gesture is insulting and should not be used there.
In the United States, raising your clasped hands above your head means “I’m the champion” or “I’m the winner”. It is the sign prizefighters make when they win a fight. When a leading Russian
statesman(政治家) made this gesture after a White House meeting, Americans misunderstood and thought he meant he was a winner. In Russia, however, it is a sign of friendship.
In the United States, holding your hand up with the thumb and index finger in a circle and the other three fingers spread out means “Everything is O.K.” and is frequently used by astronauts and politicians. In France and Belgium, it can mean “You’re worth nothing.”
There are other nonverbal signals that people should be aware of when they go to another country, such as the distance to maintain between speakers. Americans usually feel comfortable when speaking with someone if the distance between them is about eighteen inches to arm’s length. Anything closer makes them feel uncomfortable.
When talking to Americans, it is also important to make eye contact. If you look down when talking to an American, he / she may feel that you are embarrassed, afraid, or trying to hide something.
In addition to knowing how to communicate nonverbally in a country, it is important to know what you and he cannot discuss. In the United States, there are certain topics to avoid when you first meet someone, For example, don’t ask people their age, weight, religion, marital status(婚姻状况), how much money they earn, or how much something costs. You can talk about work, the weather, traffic problems, sports, food, news of the day, where one lives, consumer subjects (computers, car repairs, and so forth), and travel or vacation plans.
These few examples illustrate that your actions can speak louder than your words. In a particular cultural contest, what you say and what you don’t say are equally important.
30. Which of the following is true?
A. People all over the world only communicate verbally. B. Most of our gestures have no meaning at all.
C. Some people think that 65 to 70 percent of our communication is nonverbal. D. Gestures are the most common way to common way to communicate.
31. As we can see from the passage there are _____ kinds of nonverbal communication signals. A. four B. five C. six D. seven
32. Please paraphrase the clause“…your actions can speak louder than your words. A. Your deeds are better than your words B. What you do is better than what you say C. You try to show your best manners
D. you are better understood by your gestures than through your words
33. The main idea of the passage is that when you are in another country, ______. A. it is unimportant to know the language
B. it is important to know what you can talk about to a foreigner
C. to know how to communicate nonverbally is as important as to know the language D. to communicate the rough gestures is more important than to know the language
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高二英语阅读能力竞赛
