Ⅳ. Reading Comprehension (60 points)
Directions:
There are four reading passages in this part. Each passage is followed by five questions. For each question there are four suggested answers marked A, B, C and D. Choose one best answer and blacken the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet.
Passage One
According to an old story, a farmer once found that a bag of corn had been stolen from his house. He went to the judge and told him about his loss. The judge ordered all the people of the farm to come before him. He took a number of sticks of equal length and gave one stick to each man.
He then said, “Come before me again tomorrow. I shall then know which of you is the thief because the stick given to the thief will be one inch longer than the others.”
The thief was afraid of being found out, and so the cut an inch off his stick. The next day the thief’s stick was found to be one inch shorter than any of the others. In this way the thief was found out, and was at once taken away to prison.
61. A bag of corn was found ________.
A. to be stolen B. stolen C. being stolen D. having stolen
62. The judge gave each man a stick _______.
A. to change back the farmer’s corn B. to beat the thief
C. as a tool to find out the thief D. so as to play a game together
63. According to the judge, the next day the thief’s stick would be one inch longer than the others’ because _______.
the thief’s stick would grow one inch longer
the other’s sticks would become one inch shorter
something wrong would happen to the thief’s stick
the judge had given the longer stick to the thief
64. Since the thief cut the stick short, ________.
he was found out
the judge couldn’t catch him
his stick had an equal length with the others’
his stick wouldn’t be any longer
65. The wise way the judge found out the thief in the end was to make ______.
the thief to cut an inch off the stick
the thief cut an inch off the stick
the stick grow an inch longer
the thief tell him what he had done
Passage Two
The home computer industry has been growing rapidly in the United States for the last ten years. Computers used to be large, expensive machines that were very difficult to use. But scientists and technicians have been making them smaller and cheaper while at the same time they have been made easier to use. As a result, their popularity has been increasing as more people have been buying computers for their homes and businesses.
Computers have been designed to store information and compute problems that are difficult for human beings to work out. Some have voices that speak with the operators. Stores use computers to keep records of their inventories (库存货物) and to send bills to their customers. Offices use computers to copy letters, record business and keep in touch with other offices. People have been using computers in their homes to keep track of the money they spend.
One important new use for computers is for entertainment. Many new games have been designed to be played on the computers. People of all ages have been playing these games. People also have been buying home computers to play computer games, watch movies and listen to concerts at home. They have become very popular indeed.
66. Computers used to _______.
A. work rapidly B. be large and expensive
C. be easy to use D. be used for fun
67. In recent years, computers are being made _______.
larger and more expensive B. smaller and cheaper
C. more difficult to use D. to work more slowly
68. Home computers can be used for _______.
A. writing letters B. playing games C. doing business D. all of the above
69. Salesmen use computers mainly to _______.
check the list of goods and materials that are kept in the store house
play games for pleasure
talk with their friends
write letters
70. The best title for the passage would be _______.
A. New Uses For Computers B. The Popularity of Home Computers
C. The Home Computer Industry D. Computers At Home
Passage Three
Mr. Chen living next door to us has a habit of drinking. The best present to him, of course, is wine, Now his eldest son brought him a bottle of Mao Tai. He was glad and stared at it for some time, then wrote “105” on the corner of the trademark with a pencil, meaning he had already drunk 105 bottles of the famous wine. Two days later a stranger came. He offered to pay 5 yuan for the empty Mao Tai bottle. Mr. Chen was pleased and sold it. Several weeks later, his second son brought him another bottle of Mao Tai. While examining and enjoying it, he was suddenly terrified—he found “105”—the very mark on it.
71. The story is mainly about _______.
A. two sons of Mr. Chen’s B. wine, the best present
C. the secret of “105” D. an empty bottle worth 5 yuan
72. The story tells that the stranger was a man who _______.
A. took back empties B. produced famous wine
C. promoted (促进) the sale of Mao Tai D. knew how to meet people’s needs
73. Mr. Chen sold his empty Mao Tai bottle because ________.
he had already numbered it “105”
he knew his second son would bring him another
the price offered was high enough
he hoped the bottle could be used again
74. When examining and enjoying the wine sent by his second son, Mr. Chen was terrified because he found _______.
A. the wine was mixed with water B. he should have marked it “106”
C. the wine had exceeded (超出) the time limit D. his second son had been cheated
75. According to the story, who do you say learned a lesson?
A. The stranger B. Mr. Chen C. His neighbour D. Mr. Chen’s eldest son
Passage Four
Do you find getting up in the morning so difficult that it is painful? This might be called laziness, but Dr. Kleitman has a new explanation. He has proved that everyone has a daily energy cycle.
During the hours when you labour through your work you may say that you’re “hot”. That’s true. The time of day when you feel most energetic is when your cycle of body temperature is at its peak. For some people the peak comes during the forenoon. For others it comes in the afternoon or evening. No one has discovered why this is so, but it leads to such familiar monologues (自言自语) as: “Get up, John! You’ll be late for work again!” The possible explanation to the trouble is that John is at his temperature-and-energy peak in the evening. Much family quarrelling ends when husbands and wives realize what these energy cycles mean, and which cycle each member of the family has.
You can’t change your energy cycle, but you can learn to make your life it better. Habit can help, Dr. Kleitman believes. Maybe you’re sleepy in the evening but feel you must stay up late anyway. Counteract (对抗) your cycle to some extent by habitually staying up later than you want to. If your energy is low in the morning but you have an important job to do early in the day, rise before your usual hour. This won’t change your cycle, but you’ll get up steam (鼓起干劲) and work better at your low point.
Get off to a slow start which saves your energy. Get with a leisurely yawl and stretch. Sit on the edge of the bed a minute before putting your feet on the floor. Avoid the trouble some search for clean clothes by laying them out the night before. When ever possible, do routine work in the afternoon and save tasks requiring more energy or concentration for your sharper hours.
76. If a person finds getting up early a problem, most probably _______.
he is a lazy person
he refuses to follow his own energy cycle
he is not sure when his energy is low
he is at his peak in the afternoon or evening
77. Which of the following may lead to family quarrels according to the passage?
A. Unawareness of energy cycles. B. Familiar monologues.
C. A change in a family member’s energy cycle.
Attempts to control the energy cycle of other family member.
78. If one wants to work more efficiently at his low point in the morning, he should _____.
A. change his energy cycle C. get up earlier than usual
B. overcome his laziness D. go to bed earlier
79. You are advised to rise with a yawn and stretch because it will ______.
help to keep your energy for the day’s work
help you to control your temper early in the day
enable you to concentrate on your routine work
keep your energy cycle under control all day
80. Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE?
Getting off to work with a minimum effort helps save one’s energy.
Dr. Kleitman explains why people reach their peak at different hours of day.
Habit helps a person adapt to his own energy cycle.
Children have energy cycles, too.
