Passage 20
Paper is one of the most important products ever invented by man. Wide spread use of written language would not have been possible without some cheap and practical material to write on. The invention of paper meant that more people could be educated because more books could be printed and distributed. Together with the printing press, paper provided an extremely important way to communicate knowledge.
How much paper do you use every year? Probably you cannot answer that question quickly. In 1990 the world’s use of paper was about one kilogram for each person a year. Now some countries use as much as 50 kilograms of paper for each person a year. Countries like the United States, England and Sweden use more paper than other countries.
Paper, like many other things that we use today, was first made in China. In Egypt and the West, paper was not very commonly used before the year 1400. The Egyptians wrote on a kind of material made of a water plant. Europeans used parchment for many hundreds of year. Parchment was very strong; it was made from the skin of certain young animals. We have learnt of the most important facts of European history from records that were kept on parchment. 1. What’s the meaning for the word “parchment”? A. The skin of young animals.
B. A kind of paper made from the skin of certain young animals. C. The paper used by European countries. D. The paper of Egypt.
2. Which of the following is not mentioned about the invention of paper? A. More jobs could be provided than before. B. More people could be educated than before. C. More books could be printed and distributed.
D. More ways could be used to exchange knowledge. 3. When did the Egyptians begin to use paper widely? A. Around 1400. B. Around 1900. C. Around 400. D. Around 900. 4. Which of the following countries uses more paper for each person a year? A. China B. Sweden C. Egypt D. Japan 5. What is the main idea of this short talk?
A. More and more paper is being consumed nowadays. B. Paper enables people to receive education more easily. C. The invention of paper is of great significance to man. D. Paper contributes a lot to the keeping of historical records.
Passage 21
Linda and David have traveled by air from London to Sydney, Australia. Linda has promised her mother that she will ring her to let her know that they have arrived safely. This is something she had done ever since she was a child. David thinks it is not a good idea to ring so far, to spend too much, and to say so little.
\ But Linda has promised that she would ring. \she says, \doesn’t cost much when you just think that it’s the other side of the world. It’s only six pence per second (每秒六便士)。\
\minute’s nearly four pounds (英镑). \
\
She has asked the man at the hotel (旅馆) desk to get her the number. The telephone rings. Linda picks it up.
\
\提醒) her.
“Hello, love.\clearly just like you are in the next room. It‘s a better line than when you called me from your office. Do you remember? I shouted at that time, and still you couldn’t hear me sometimes.\
\Linda puts in. \
\And then when you …\ \
Linda tries to tell her mother that it is time to say goodbye.
\work …\
Once again, Mrs. Lee talks about the pass and there is no stopping her. \
At last, Linda cuts her mother short, promises to write, and rings off. \
\ 1. Linda is telephoning home to ________.
A. tell her mother some bad news B. say that she and David have arrived safely C. report an accident to her mother D. say that she and David have left London 2. Linda does not think it expensive to ring, because ________. A. it only costs four pounds and ninety pence B. it is even more expensive to buy a new hat C. she had telephoned home since her childhood
D. she will speak from one side of the word to the other 3. David says, “Nearly four pounds”, because ________.
A. he wants to remind Linda of the cost of the cost of the call B. he wants to buy himself a new hat
C. Linda has not told her mother they have arrived D. he wants Mrs. Lee to know how much the call costs
4. Mrs. Lee goes on talking for so long because ________. A. she likes to hear all about the past. B. she likes talking
C. Linda had not told her that she has arrived D. she is going to pay for the telephone call 5. Linda tries to stop her mother by ________.
A. telling her how much the call is costing B. writing a letter as she has promised to do
C. telling her that they have arrived safely D. promising to write, and ringing off
Passage 22
One day a man and his daughter were going out for a walk. The man had put on a pair of odd (奇怪的的) shoes, one with a thick sole（鞋跟）and one with a thin sole. As he came out to the street, he felt very uncomfortable. Turning to his daughter, he said: “Why should one of my legs be longer than the other one?” The daughter looked at her father’s legs and said, “You have put on two odd shoes!” When he heard this, the man was very happy and thought to himself: “What a bright daughter I have got!” Then he asked his daughter to go back to the house and got him another pair of shoes. When the daughter went back to the house, all she could find was one shoe with thick sole and one with thin sole. Taking the shoes to her father, she said, “It’s no use changing. These shoes are also odd, one with a thick sole and one with a thin sole.” The man listened and thought to himself: “It can’t help. I might as well wear the ones I have on now.” so they went on for their walk.
1. The man thought that his daughter was ________. A. beautiful B. clever C. lazy D. clean 2. It was the ________ that found the reason for the wrong shoes. A. father B. daughter C. neighbour D. friend 3. The daughter came back, bringing ________ with her. A. a pair of right shoes B. a pair of odd shoes C. a pair of thick-soled shoes D. nothing
4. What do you think that the man should have done?
A. He should return to his home and get the shoes himself. B. He should have the thick sole cut off. C. He should have changed one of his shoes. D. He should have no shoes on.
5. What do you think of the man and his daughter? A. They both were not clever.
B. The father was cleverer than the daughter. C. The daughter was cleverer than the father. D. Either of them was clever.
Passage 23
How men first learned to invent words is unknown; in other words, the origin of language is a mystery. All we really know is that men, unlike animals, somehow invented certain sounds to express thoughts and feelings, actions and things, so that they could communicate with each other; and that later they agreed upon certain signs, called letters, which could be combined to represent those sounds, and which could be written down. Those sounds, whether spoken, or written in letters we call words.
The power of words, then, lies in their combinations — the things they bring up before our minds. Words become filled with meaning for us by experience; and the longer we live, the more certain words recall to us the glad and sad events of our past; and the more we read and learn, the more the number of words that mean something to us increases.
Great writers are those who not only have great thoughts but also express these thoughts in words which appeal powerfully to our minds and feelings. This charming and telling use of words is what we call literary (文字的) style. Above all, the real poet is a master of words. He can convey his meaning in words which sing like music, and which by their position and association can move men to tears. We should therefore learn to choose our words carefully and use them accurately, or they will make our speech silly and rude. 1. The origin of language ________. A. is reflected in sounds and letters
B. is handed down from generation to generation C. dates back to the prehistoric period D. is a problem not yet solved
2. According to the passage, words are _________. A. visual letters
B. represented by sounds
C. represented either by sounds or letters D. signs called letters
3. The power of words lies in their _________. A. beauty B. accuracy C. combinations D. charm
4. The secret of a writer’s success is the use of words that _________. A. recall to us the glad and sad events of our past B. are arranged in a creative way C. are as beautiful as music
D. agree with certain literary style
5. The author of the passage advises us _________. A. to use words carefully and accurately B. not to use silly and rude words C. to become a slave of words
D. to use emotional words 1. 答案：D。答案在第一段：“the origin of language is a mystery.”因此，语言的起源仍然是个迷，还没有得到解决。 2. 答案：C。第一段谈到：“人类起初用某种声音进行交流， 后来又有了字母，字母结合起来可以代表声音，也可以写下来。因此，这些说出来的声音也好，用字母写出来的声音也好，
大学英语(B)阅读理解练习题及答案
