第4部分：阅读理解(第31~45题，每题3分，共45分)
下面有3篇短文，每篇短文后有5道题。请根据短文内容，为每题确定1个最佳选项。
第一篇
The Development of Ballet
Ballet is a dance form that has a long history. The fact that it survives to this day shows that it has adjusted as times have changed.
Ballet began in the royal courts during the Renaissance. At that time it became common for kings and queens, as well as other nobility, to participate in pageants that included music, poetry, and dance. As these entertainments moved from the Italian courts to the French ones, court ladies began participating in them. Though their long dresses prevented much movement, they were able to perform elaborate walking patterns. It was not until the 1600s that women dancers shortened their skirts, changed to flat shoes, and began doing some of the leaps and turns performed by men.
It was also in the 1600s that professional ballet began. King Louis XIV of France, himself a devoted dancer, founded the Royal Academy of Dance. The five basic feet positions from which all ballet steps begin were finalized. In the late 1700s another important change occurred. Ballet began to tell a story on its own. It was no longer simply dance to be performed between acts of plays. Elaborate wigs and costumes were eliminated. By the early 1800s dancers learned to rise on their toes to make it appear that they were floating.
Classical ballet as we know it today was influenced primarily by Russian dancing. The Russians remained interested in ballet when it declined in other European countries in the mid-1800s. One of the most influential figures of the early 20th century was Sergei Diaghilev. His dance company, the Ballets Russes, brought a new energy and excitement to ballet. One of his chief assistants, George Balanchine, went on to found the New York City Ballet in 1948 and to influence new generations of dancers.
31. This passage deals mainly with
A. famous names in ballet
B. Russian ballet
C. how ballet has developed
D. why ballet is no longer popular
32. The word “pageants” in Paragraph 2 means:
A. dances
B. instruction
C. royal courts
D. big shows
33. Professional ballet was first performed in
A. France
B. Italy
C. Russia
D. America
34. Who had an important influence on early ballet
A.Balanchine
B.Louis XIV
C.Antoinette
D. Diaghilev
35. we can conclude from this passage that ballet
A. will continue to change
B. is a dying art
C. is currently performed only in Russia
D. is often performed by dancers with little training
第二篇
An Expensive Mistake
36. NASA built the Mars Climate Orbiter to get information about
A. possible life on Mars
B. the size of Mars
C. the shape of Mars
D. the atmosphere of Mars
37. How long did it take the Orbiter to get close to Mars?
A. one year
B. less than one year
C. about two and a half year
D. more than three years
38. When did the Orbiter’s problem begin?
A. right after it left for Mars
B. when it got near Mars
C. right after it landed on Mars
D. when it returned to Earth
39. What caused the Orbiter’s problem
A. Scientists used wrong guidelines of mathematics
B. Scientists used wrong building materials
C. Scientists used different operating systems
D. Scientists used different measurement systems
40. Why didn’t NASA scientists identify the problem before the Orbiter left for Mars
A. they didn’t know the English system
B. they were sure of the success of the trip
C. they didn’t get enough research funding
D. they were tired from working long hours
第三篇
Operation Migration
41. whooping cranes migrate in winter to
A. find warmth and food
B. raise baby whooping cranes
C. get human help
D. lay eggs
42. whooping cranes are native to
A. North America
B. Mexico
C. South America
D. the Persian Gulf
43. Operation Migration aims to
A. teach adult cranes how to fly
B. breed cranes in special parks
C. lead young cranes on their first trip south
D. transport cranes to the North
44. The distance covered by the young whooping cranes on their trip south is
A.120 miles
B.1931 miles
C.1200 miles
D.2000 miles
45. If operation Migration is successful , whooping cranes will
A. learn to migrate on their own
B. follow airplanes south every year
C. live in Canada all year round
D. be unable to fly back
