电大英语II(1)阅读理解

1 / 15 阅读下列短文，从A、B、C、D四个选项中选出一个正确答案，并在答题纸上写出所选的字母符号。 Passage 1 I was 15 when I walked into McCarley Bookstore and began to look over the titles of the books on the shelves. The man behind the counter, the owner of the bookstore, asked me if I would like a job. I needed to start saving for college, so I said yes. I worked after school and during summers for minimum wages and the job helped pay for my freshman year of college. I worked at many other jobs afterwards: I made coffee in the student union during college. I made maps for the U.S Forest Service. But selling books was one of the most satisfying. One day a woman asked me for books on cancer. She seemed fearful. I showed her everything we had and found other books we could order. She left the shop less worried and I’ve always remembered the pride I felt in having helped her. Years later, as a television reporter, I heard about a poor child who was born with his fingers of the left hand linked together. His family could not afford the corrective surgery, and the boy lived in shame, hiding his left hand in his pocket. I persuaded my boss to let me do the story on TV. After my story was broadcast, a doctor and a nurse called, offering to perform the surgery for free. I visited the boy in the recovery room after the operation. The first thing he did was hold up his repaired hand and say, “Thank you.” I was overjoyed and filled with a strong sense of reward. At McCarley Bookstore, I always felt I was working for the customers, not just for the store. Today it’s the same. NBC news pays me the salary. But I feel that I work for the viewers, helping them make sense of the world. My working experience in McCarley Bookstore helped me find a good sense of the world, and most importantly, it helped me find a good sense of myself. 1. How did the author get the job in McCarley Bookstore? A. He happened to walk into the shop and got it by chance. B. He had always wanted to have a job in that bookstore and he succeeded. C. He liked reading books, so tried to get a job there. 2 / 15

D. He did not go to school, so he looked for a job when he was 15. 2. According to the author, selling books was one of the most satisfying job experiences, because ____________. A. he only had to work after school and got good wages B. it helped him understand the world and himself C. it helped him pay for his freshman year of college D. he did not feel that he was working for the store 3. After he helped the fearful lady looking for books on cancer, the author was ____________. A. worried about her B. less worried about her C. unable to forget her D. proud of himself 4. The author decided to help the poor boy by ____________. A. persuading his boss to do the story on TV B. persuading his boss to let him do the story on TV C. asking a doctor to perform the operation for free D. visiting the boy in the recovery room after the operation 5. The main reason that the author thinks his present job is the same as the one in the bookstore is ____________. A. it gives him salary B. it makes him feel excited C. it helps people make sense of the world D. it enables him to work (Key: 1. A 2. B 3. D 4. B 5. C)

Passage 2 Paper was invented by the Chinese in the first century AD. Paper was not made in southern Europe until about the year 1100. Scandinavia - which now makes a great deal of the world’s paper - did not begin to make it until 1500. Most paper is made 3 / 15

from wood. Paper-making is an important British industry and paper from Britain is sold to many countries such as Australia and South Africa. Some of the wood used in the British paper making industry comes from trees grown in Britain, but wood is also bought from other countries such as Norway. One tree is needed for every four hundred copies of a forty-page newspaper. If half the adults in Britain buy one daily paper, this uses up over a thousand trees a day. All over the world, trees are being cut down faster than they are being planted, so there may be a serious need for paper at the beginning of next century. When we think of paper, we think of newspaper, books, letters and writing paper. But there are many other uses. Only half of paper is used for books and newspaper, etc. Paper is very good for keeping you warm. Each year, more and more things are made of paper. Now we hear that chairs, tables, and even beds can be made of paper. But the latest in paper making seems to be paper houses. 1. Where was paper invented? A. In China. B. In southern Europe. C. In Scandinavia. D. In Britain. 2. Scandinavia began to make paper ____________. A. in 1100 B. in 1400 C. in 1500 D. in the first century 3. Every four hundred copies of a forty-page newspaper will need ____________. A. half a tree B. one tree C. two trees D. more than one tree 4. All over the world, trees are being cut down ____________ than they are being planted. A. more slowly B. much faster C. much more slowly D. faster 5. The latest things made of paper are ____________. A. chairs B. tables C. clothes D. houses (Key: 1. A 2. C 3. B 4. D 5. D)