阅读理解电大英语

阅读理解1 " There are stories about two U.S. presidents, Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren, which attempt to explain the American English term OK. We don't know if either story is true, but they are both interesting.The first explanation is based on the fact that President Jackson had very little education. In fact, he had difficulty in reading and writing. When important papers came to Jackson, he tried to read them and then had his assistants explain what they said. If he approved of a paper, he would write ""all correct"" on it. The problem was that he didn't know how to spell, so what he really wrote was ""ol korekt"". After a while, he shortened that term to ""OK"".The second explanation is based on the place where President van Buren was born, Kinderhook, New York. Van Buren's friends organized a club to help him become President. They called the club the Old Kinderhook Club, and anyone who supported Van Buren was called ""OK""" "The author ___A. believes both of the storiesB. doesn't believe a word of the storiesC. is not sure whether the stories are trueD. is telling the stories just for funAccording to the passage, President Ja ckson _____.A. couldn't draw up any documents at allB. didn't like to read important papers by himselfC. often had his assistants sign documents for himD. wasn't good at reading, writing or spellingAccording to the first story, the term ""OK"" ___.A. was approved of by President JacksonB. was the title of some official documentsC. was first used by President JacksonD. was an old way to spell ""all correct""According to the second story, the term ""OK"" ___.A. was the short way to say ""Old Kinderhook Club""B. meant the place where President Van Buren was bornC. was the name of van Buren's clubD. was used to call Van Buren's supporters in the election According to the second story, the term ""OK"" was first used ___.A. by van BurenB. in a presidential electionC. to organize the Old Kinderhook ClubD. by the members of the ""Old Kinderhook Club""""C、D、C、D、B"2 " Although the United States covers so much land and the land produces far more food than the present population needs, its people are by now almost entirely an urban society. Less than a tenth of the people are engaged in agriculture and forestry(林业), and most of the rest live in or around towns, small and large. Here the traditional picture is changing: every small town may still be very like other small towns, and the typical small town may represent a widely accepted view of the country, but most Americans do not live in small towns any more. Half the population now lives in some thirty metropolitan areas (large cities with their suburbs) of more than a million people each—a large proportion than in Germany or England, let alone France. The statistics(统计) of urban and rural population should be treated with caution because so many people who live in areas classified as rural by car to work in a nearby town each day. As the rush to live out of town continues, rural areas within reach of towns are gradually filled with houses, so that it is hard to say at what moment a piece of country becomes a suburb. But more and more the typical American lives in a metropolitan rather than a small town environment.""If now America has 250 million people, how many of them are engaged in agriculture and forestry?A. About 25 million.B. More than 25 million.C. Less than 25 million.D. Less than 225 million.Which of the following four countries has the smallest proportion of people living in metropolitan areas?A. United States.B. Germany.C. France.D. England.What's the meaning of the word ""metropolitan"" in the middle of the passage?A. Of a large city with its suburbs.B. Of small and large towns.C. Of urban areas.D. Of rural areas.According to the passage, what can we learn about small towns in the United States?A. Most small towns become gradually crowded.B. Small towns are still similar to each other.C. As the traditional picture is changing, towns are different.D. Small towns are turning into large cities.Why is it hard to say when a piece of country becomes a suburb?A. Because they are the same.B. Because the rush takes place too quickly.C. Because the process is gradual.D. Because more and more Americans live in metropolitan areas.""C、C、A、B、C"3 " If we were asked exactly what we were doing a year ago, we should probably have to say that we could not remember. But if we had kept a book and had written in it an account of what we did each day, we should be able to give an answer to the question.It is the same in history. Many things have been forgotten because we do not have any written account of them. Sometimes men did keep a record of the most important happenings in their country, but often it was destroyed by fire or in a war. Sometimes there was never any written record at all because the people of that time and place did not know how to write. For example, we know a good deal about the people who lived in China 4,000 years ago, because they could write and leave written records for those who lived after them. But we know almost nothing about the people who lived even 200 years ago in central Africa, because they had not learned to write.Sometimes, of course, even if the people cannot write, they may know something of the past. They have heard about it from older people, and often songs and dances and stories have been made about the most important happenings, and these have been sung and acted and told for many generations. For most people are proud to tell what their fathers did in the past. This we may call ‘remembered history'. Some of it has now been written down. It is not so exact or so valuable to us as written history is, because words are much more easily changed when used again and again in speech than when copied in writing. But where there are no written records, such spoken stories are often very helpful." "Which of the following ideas is not suggested in the passage?A. ""Remembered history"", compared with written history, is less reliable.B. Written records of the past play the most important role in our learning of the human history.C. A written account of our daily activities helps us to be able to answer many questions.D. Where there are no written records, there is no history.We know very little about the central Africa 200 years ago because ___.A. there was nothing worth being written down at that timeB. the people there ignored the importance of keeping a recordC. the written records were perhaps destroyed by a fireD. the people there did not know how to write ""Remembered history"" refers to ___.A. history based on a person's imaginationB. stories of important happenings passed down from mouth to mouthC. songs and dances about the most important eventsD. both B and C""Remembered history"" is regarded as valuable only when ___.A. it is written downB. no written account is availableC. it proves to be trueD. people are interested in itThe passage suggests that we could have learned much more about our past than we do now if the ancient people had ___. A. kept a written record of every past event B. not burnt their written records in warsC. told exact stories of the most important happeningsD. made more songs and dances""D、D、D、B、A"4 " When Mrs. Joseph Groeger died recently in Vienna, Austria, people asked the obvious, ""Why did she live to be 107?"" Answers were provided by a survey conducted among 148 Viennese men and women who had reached the age of 100. Somewhat surprising was the fact that the majority had lived most of their lives in cities. In spite of the city's image as an unhealthy place, city living often provides benefits that country living can lack. One factor seems to be important to the longevity (长寿) of those interviewed.This factor is exercise. In the cities it is often faster to walk short distances than to wait for a bus. Even taking public transportation often requires some walking. Smaller apartment houses have no elevators (电梯), and so people must climb stairs. City people can usually walk to local supermarkets. Since parking spaces are hard to find, there is often no alternative to walking.On the other hand, those who live in the country and suburbs do not have to walk every day. In fact, the opposite isoften true. To go to school, work, or almost anywhere else, they must ride in cars." "The Vienna survey may help to explain ______.A. the complaints of people in apartment housesB. the cause of Mrs. Groeger's deathC. the longevity of people like Mrs. GroegerD. the image of cities in generalThe purpose of the second paragraph is to list some______.A. benefits of walking B. occasions for walking in city life C. comments made by city peopleD. problems of city livingTo reach the third floor of a building, it would probably be most healthful _____.A. to take the elevatorB. to walk up the stairsC. to ride in a carD. to find an alternative to walkingPeople who live in the country probably do more driving than walking because ___.A. they don't live near business areasB. they don't need the exerciseC. they never have parking problemsD. they can't afford to take the busA conclusion that can be drawn from this passage is that ______.A. air pollution is not seriousB. anyone can live to be 107C. country people should move to the cityD. walking is a healthful exercise""C、B、B、A、D"5 " For any Englishman, there can never be any discussion as to who is the world's greatest dramatist (剧作家). Only one name can possibly suggest itself to him: that of William Shakespeare. Every Englishman has some knowledge, however slight, of the work of our great writer. All of us use words, phrases and quotations from Shakespeare's writings that have become part of the common property of the English-speaking people. Most of the time we are probably unaware of the source of the words we used, rather like the old lady who was taken to see a performance of Hamlet and complained that it was full of well-known proverbs and quotations.Shakespeare, more perhaps than any other writer, makes full use of the great recourses of the English language. Most of us use about five thousand words in our normal use of English; Shakespeare in his works used about twenty-five thousand.There is probably no better way for a foreigner to appreciate the richness and variety if the English language than by studying the various ways in which Shakespeare used it. Such a study is well worth the effort (it is not, of course, recommended to beginners) even though some aspects of English usage, and the meaning of many words, have changed since Shakespeare's day." "English people _____.A. have never discussed who is the world's greatest dramatistB. never discuss any issue concerning the world's greatest dramatistC. are sure who is the world's greatest dramatistD. do not care who is the world's greatest poet and dramatist Every Englishman knows ______.A. more or less about ShakespeareB. Shakespeare, but only slightlyC. all Shakespeare's writingsD. only the name of the greatest English writerWhich of the following is true?A. We use all the words, phrases an quotations from Shakespeare's writings.B. Shakespeare's writings have become the property of those are learning to speak English.C. It is likely to be true that people often do not know the origins of the words they use.D. All the words people use are taken from the writings of Shakespeare,What does the word ""Proverb"" mean?A. Familiar sayingsB. Shakespeare's playsC. ComplaintsD. Actors and actresses.Why is it worthwhile to study the various ways in which Shakespeare used English?A. English words have changed a lot since Shakespeare's time.B. By doing so one can be fully aware of the richness of the English language.C. English words are now being used in the same way as in Shakespeare's time.D. Beginners may have difficulty learning some aspects of English usage.""C、A、C、A、B"6 " Trees are useful to man in three very important ways: they provide him wood and other products; they give himshade; and they help to prevent drought(干旱) and floods.Unfortunately, in many parts of the world, man has not realized that the third of these services is the most important. In his eagerness to draw quick profit from the trees, he has cut them down in large numbers.Two thousand years ago, a rich and powerful country cut down its trees to build warships, with which to gain itself an empire. It gained the empire but, without its trees, its soil became bare and poor. When the empire fell to pieces, the country found itself faced by floods and starvation.Even where a government realizes the importance of a plentiful supply of trees, it is difficult sometimes to make the people realize this. They cut down the trees but are too careless to plant and look after new trees. So, unless the government has a good system of control, or can educate the people, the forests slowly disappear.This does not only mean that there will be fewer trees. The results are even more serious: for where there are trees, their roots break the soil up, allowing the rain to sink in, and also bind the soil. This prevents the soil from being washed away. But where there are no trees, the rain falls on hard ground and flows away on the surface, and this causes floods and the rain carries away the rich topsoil in which crops grow. When all the topsoil is gone, nothing remains but worthless desert.""Trees are useful to man mainly in three ways, most important of which is that they can _____.A. keep him from the hot sunshineB. enable him to build warshipsC. make him draw quick profit from themD. protect him from droughts and floodsIt is a great pity that _____.A. man is only interested in building empiresB. man is eager to profit from treesC. man hasn't realized the importance of trees to him.D. man hasn't found out that he has lost all trees.Sooner or later the forests will disappear _____.A. unless a country has a plenty supply of treesB. unless people stop cutting down their treesC. unless all people are taught the importance of planting treesD. unless the government punishes those who cut trees instead of planting themThe word ""bind"" in Paragraph 5 means ""_____"".A. to wash awayB. to make wetC. to make stay togetherD. to improveWhen there is a heavy rain, trees can help to prevent floods, as they can _____.A. keep rain from falling down to soft groundB. cause the soil to allow rainwater to sink inC. prevent the soil from being washed awayD. make the topsoil stick together""D、C、C、C、B"7 "If you judge by the number of people who go to see the games and by the number of those who actually play it, basketball is probably the most popular sport in the United States. It is also a sport enjoyed by millions of fans in at least 100 countries and one of the best-known sports in the world. It began in 1891.Dr. James A. Naismith, the father of basketball, was an instructor at a YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association) training school. The school trained people to work in YMCAs. Officials at the school were concerned about the low attendance during the winter months. They felt that people didn't attend them because the school did not have a good winter sports program. So they asked Dr. Naismith for help. He came up with a new indoor game.Naismith studied current games and found that all the most popular games used a ball. So a ball would be part of his new game, he decided. But kicking the ball or hitting it would be too rough for indoors. So he put two peach(桃树) baskets up on poles. The players had to try to throw a soccer(英式足球) ball into them. Naismith made thirteen rules for the game. Twelve of them are still in use today. Just seven years after the game began, professional basketball teams were formed." "What's the main idea of the passage?A. Americans are fans of basketball.B. Basketball is an indoor game.C. How basketball was born.D. How to play basketball.The reason why people didn't like to go to the training school in winter is that _____.A. it was too cold to play outdoor gamesB. the school didn't have enough gymsC. the gym instructors were not qualifiedD. the school didn't have an appropriate winter gameDr. Naismith designed the new indoor game—— basketball only because _____.A. he preferred athletic sports in winterB. He was interested in making something newC. he was asked to solve the problem of the low attendance in winterD. he was just studying the current games at that time How many rules that Dr Naismith made are still in use?A. 13B. 12C. 7D. 6Professional basketball teams were formed in _____.A. 1891B. 1898C. 1904D. 1903""C、D、C、B、B"8 "The intelligence (智力) tests used most often today are based on the work of a Frenchman, Alfred Binet. In 1905, Binet was asked by the French Ministry of Education to develop a way to identify those children in French schools who were too ""mentally deficient (不完善的)"" to benefit from ordinary schooling and who needed special education. The tests had to distinguish those who were merely behind in school from those who were actually mentally deficient.The items that Binet and his colleague Thephile Simon included on the test were chosen on the basis of their ideas about intelligence. Binet and Simon believed intelligence includes such abilities as understanding the meaning of words, solving problems, and making common-sense judgments. Two other important assumptions (假定) also shaped Binet's and Simon's work: (1) children with more intelligence will do better in school and (2) older children have a greater ability than younger children.Binet's first tests consisted of thirty tasks. They were simple things most children learn as a result of their everyday experience. The tasks were arranged in groups, according to age. Binet decided which tasks were suitable for a given age group by giving them first to a large number of children of different ages. If more than half of the children of a given age passed a test, it was considered suitable for that age." "The main purpose of this passage is to _____.A. tell the origin of intelligence testsB. explain the basic principle of intelligence testsC. describe the changes in the content of intelligence testsD. state the development of intelligence testsWhat was the purpose of the intelligence test designed by Alfred Binet in 1905?A. To select top students.B. To know who had received ordinary schooling.C. To put students in a right order.D. To make sure who require particular treatments.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?A. Intelligence includes word understanding and problem solving.B. More intelligent children usually do better in school.C. The French Ministry of Education was charged with the development of first intelligence tests.D. Intelligence is related with age.How did Binet decide which tasks to be included on his first test?A. He first worked out thirty tasks for mentally deficient children.B. He first gave all the tasks to many children both younger and older.C. He first gave the tasks to many children he thought suitable.D. He first gave some of the tasks to different groups of children.In the passage, the description of Binet's intelligence test is developed in the order of _____.A. its purpose, basis and contents C. its purpose, method and resultsB. its purpose, items and tasks D. its background, basis and assumptions" "A、D、C、B、A"10 " Barbara Jordan, one of the most respected lawyers and politicians in the United States, was the first black woman from the South to be elected to Congress.She was born in Houston, Texas, on February 21, 1936. Right from the start, she set high standards for herself in school.In high school. Miss Jordan decided to become a lawyer. At Texas Southern University she studied political science and history and graduated in 1956 at the top of her class. By 1959 she had earned a law degree from Boston University.Miss Jordan began practicing law at her parents' dining room table. Three years later she opened her own office.The restless Miss Jordan first broke into politics in 1966, becoming the first black woman elected to the Texas senate.After an impressive record as a state senator, she entered the national scene.In 1972 she won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. During her time in office she was devoted to helping minorities, the poor, and the elderly. ""My approach is to respect the humanity of everybody,"" she once said. That' just the way Barbara Jordan was." "Miss Jordan decided to become a lawyer _____.A. before she ever started schoolB. when she was in high schoolC. while she was in CongressD. as soon as she finished her schoolWhat did she study at Boston University?______.A. History ans scienceB. LawC. Political scienceD. Politics and historyThe word ""restless in paragraph 5 means ______ in its sentence.""A. having no rest all days and nightsB. being nervous and impatientC. having too much restD. not satisfied with the life she was living and wanting to have some new experinceIn her political life she won ______ in 1972.A. a law degreeB. an appointment to the president's cabinetC. a seat in the state senateMiss Jordan was the first blak woman ______.A. to be appointed as an ambassadorB. from the South to be elected to CongressC. to be appointed to the congressD. to win a national election""B、B、D、D、B"11 " How and when did Australia begin? It is believed that Australian history began at the end of the eighteenth century. After several centuries of European voyaging in the southern oceans, the English naval officer James Cook sailed the eastern coast in 1770, named it New South Wales and took possession of it in the name of his king. Within twenty years the British government sent a team of explorers to settle in New South Wales. On 26 January 1788 its commander, Arthur Phillip, began to rule over the eastern half of the country. The thousand officers, soldiers, officials and criminals who came ashore from the eleven ships of the First Fleet, anchored (停泊) in the port of Sydney. They prepared the way for later immigrants who spread out over the continent.This is a story of a sleeping land brought to life by Endeavour, the name given to Cook's ship and the quality given to those who followed him.The newcomers brought with them domestic animals, plants and tools. They also brought with them new ideas. That accomplishment in turn shaped what Australia is now." "According to this passage, Australian history began at the end of the ____ century.A. sixteenthB. seventeenthC. eighteenthD. nineteenthThe eastern coast of Australia was named New South Wales in 1770. Who did it?A. James Cook.B. Arthur Phillip.C. George Washington.D. William Shakespeare.In the early history of Australia the ____ government sent its people there for settlement.A. AmericanB. FrenchC. SpanishD. BritishArthur Phillip in this passage is referred to as ____ who began to rule the eastern half of the country in 1778.A. an army officerB. a rich businessmanC. a poor farmerD. a university student ""Endeavour"" in the passage is likely to be ____.A. a ship in which James Cook and his men sailed to AustraliaB. a group of ships led by Arthur PhillipC. the courage and bravery of those who came to Australia in the early days and went through lots of difficultiesD. both A and C""C、A、D、A、D"12 " Many a young person tells me he wants to be a writer. I always encourage such people, but I also explain that there's a big difference between being a writer and writing. In most cases they are dreaming of wealth and fame, not the longhours alone at a typewriter. ""You've got to want to write,"" I say to them, ""not want to be a writer.""The reality is that writing is a lonely, private and poor-paying affair. Only a few writers were kissed by fortune, however there are thousands more whose work is never rewarded. When I left a 20-year career in the U.S. Coast Guard to become a freelance writer, I had no proposals at all. What I did have was a friend who found me in my room in a New York department building. I didn't even care that it was cold and had no bathroom. I immediately bought a used typewriter and felt like a good writer.After a year I still hadn't got a break and began to doubt myself. It was so hard to sell a story that I hardly made enough to eat. But I knew I wanted to write. I had dreamed about it for years. I wasn't going to be one of those people who did wondering ""What if"". I would keep putting my dream to the test, even though it meant living with uncertainty and fear of failure. This is the Shadowland of hope, and anyone with a dream must learn to live there." "The passage is meant to ____.A. warn young people of the hardships that a successful writer has to experienceB. advise young people to give up their idea of becoming a professional writerC. show young people it's unrealistic for a writer to pursue wealth and fameD. encourage young people to pursue a writing careerWhat can be concluded from the passage?A. Good writers often find their work interesting and rewardingB. Writer's success depends on luck rather than on effortC. Famous writers usually live in poverty and isolationD. The chances for a writer to become successful are smallWhy did the author begin to doubt himself after the first year of his writing career?A. Because he wasn't able to produce a single bookB. Because he hadn't seen a change for the betterC. Because he wasn't able to have a rest for a whole yearD. Because he found his dream would never come trueThe word ""people"" in the sentence ""...people who did wondering..."" in Paragraph 3 refers to those ____.A. who think a lot without making a decisionB. who regret giving up their career halfwayC. who think too much of the positive side of lifeD. who are full of imagination even upon death ""Shadowland"" in the last sentence refers to ___.A. the wonderful land one often dreams aboutB. the bright future that one is looking forward toC. the state of uncertainty before one's final goal is reachedD. a word that exists only in one's imagination""A、D、B、A、C"13 " The United States covers a large part of the North American continent. Its neighbors are Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. Although the United States is a big country, it is not the largest in the world. In 2000, its population was over 222 million.When this land first became a nation, after winning its independence from England, it had thirteen states. Each of the states was represented (代表) on the American flag by a star. All these states were in the eastern part of the continent. As the nation grew toward the west, new states were added and new stars appeared on the flag. For a long time, there were 48 stars. In 1959, however, two more stars were added to the flag, representing the new states of Alaska and Hawaii.Indians were the first people of the land which is now the United States. There are still many thousands of Indians now living in all parts of the country. Sometimes it is said that the Indians are ""the only real Americans"". Most Americans come from all over the world. Those who came first in greatest numbers to make their homes on the eastern coast of North America were mostly from England. It is for that reason that the language of the United States is English and that its culture and customs are more like those of England than those of any other country in the world." "Which of the following is TRUE?A. America is the largest country in the world.B. The United States lies next to Canada and Mexico.C. America covers most part of the North American continent.D. Mexico is to the north of Canada.。