From their beginnings New England towns had a special democratic system of gover
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From their beginnings New England towns had a special democratic system of government. At a stated time all the citizens would assemble at a town meeting, where they would discuss local problems and express opinions freely. They also elected the town’s officials at these gatherings and made decisions about the taxes they would pay and about other community matters. These meetings were usually held at the town hall, which was located in the central square.
In the eighteenth-century town meetings, only men who owned property and who were church members actually voted, although everyone present was allowed to express their opinions. Later, all citizens were allowed to vote. Thus the town meeting became truly democratic. Town meetings are still common in New England communities.
In recent years the town meeting idea has been widely imitated. There are open sessions of this kind on radio and television. Occasionally a meeting of this type is called by a government agency in order to give an opportunity for free and open discussion on current problems and policies.
小题1:At a town meeting, people do the following things EXCEPT __________. | A．express their opinions about the government | | B．elect officials of the towns | | C．make a decision about whom they should marry | | D．discuss some community matters |
小题2:In the 18th century, who had the right to vote? | A．All the citizens. | | B．All the men except those who were church members. | | C．The rich. | | D．The rich men and the church members. |
小题3:Why has the town meeting been widely imitated? | A．Because many people are interested in it. | | B．Because it is very democratic. | | C．Because many people enjoy themselves at town meetings. | | D．Because sometimes government agencies call them. |
小题4:According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true? | A．Citizens can elect the officials in the town meeting. | | B．In recent years, town meetings are often called by a government agency. | | C．People can say what they want to say at the town meeting. | | D．Nowadays this kind of meeting is also held on radio and television. |
小题5:This passage mainly talks about _______. | A．the New England town meeting | B．modern town meetings | | C．a democratic meeting | D．New England towns |
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答案
小题1:C
小题2:D
小题3:B
小题4:B
小题5:A |
解析
试题分析：文章开头就点明了主题，主要介绍了英格兰的新市政会议，以及市政会议的主要讨论内容。
小题1:C。文中提到是付税费，而不是生活方面的费用。
小题2:D。依据为第二段中的“In the eighteenth-century town meetings, only men who owned property and who were church members actually voted, …”。
小题3:B。从文章的第一句和最后一段可看出市政会议之所以受欢迎是因为其民主性。
小题4:B。从文章的最后一段中的“Occasionally a meeting of this type is called by a government agency…”可知这种会议是偶尔召开，而不是经常开。
小题5:A。文章开头就点明了主题，主要介绍了英格兰的新市政会议。
点评：本文主要介绍了英格兰的新市政会议。考查细节题为主，细节题可以在文章中直接找到与答案有关的信息或是其变体。搜查信息在阅读中非常重要它包括理解作者在叙述某事时使用的具体事实、数据、图表等细节信息。在一篇短文里大部分篇幅都属于这类围绕主体展开的细节。做这类题一般采用寻读法即先读题，然后带着问题快速阅读短文，找出与问题有关的词语或句子，再对相关部分进行分析对比，找出答案。 |
举一反三
Like any awards ceremony of its age, the Oscars, now in its 85th year, has been trying hard to change.
So how did that go this year? When host Seth MacFarlane noted in his opening speech that it was the first time the Academy Awards had a theme, I thought: “well, that’s a good start.”
But when he revealed that the theme was a tribute to(向…致敬) musicals, I was less sure. After all, it’s not the first time that musicals have featured at the Oscars.
In 2007, the cast of Dream-girls gave a special performance directed by movie director and musical veteran(经验丰富的老手) Bill Condon. Then there was the memorable 2009 show hosted by Hugh Jackman, who screams musicals. With Beyonce Knowles and Anne Hathaway, he performed several hit songs from move musical. And in 2010, how did Neil Patrick Harris introduce the hosts? By performing a musical number.
So I guess the Oscars could have done better this year. But I must admit, there were more music performances in the three-and-a –half-hour show than ever before. This suggests the Oscars has dropped some of its arrogance and wants to offer audiences more entertainment.
It’s a timely move as the Golden Globes, also known as the “big party,” has become a threat to the Oscars, stealing viewers and even its reputation. Just look at the Oscars’ winning list this year.
You can’t blame the academy for wanting to stick it to the Golden Globes. While they hired Tina Fey and Amy Poehler to host the show—certainly more audience-friendly than MacFarlane— and Bill Clinton was invited as a presenter, who did viewers get at the Oscars? The First Lady of the US, Michelle Obama.
Way to go, Oscar! We know you’re struggling to look fresh and young, but don’t lose the pride and dignity that made you one biggest honor in the movie industry. Don’t ever let that change.
小题1:Examples are given in Para.4 to show that__________.| A．the Oscars has been trying hard to change | | B．the Oscars’ theme is a tribute to musicals | | C．it is not the first time that the Oscars has had a theme | | D．musicals are not a new feature this year |
小题2:What disappoints the writer is that__________.| A．the Oscars didn’t invite Bill Clinton as a presenter | | B．the show took as long as three and a half hours | | C．the Oscars has lost some pride and dignity to cater to the audiences | | D．the Oscars is no longer fresh and young |
小题3: Which of the following is true of the Golden Globes?| A．It gave an award to the First Lady of the US, Michelle Obama. | | B．Its host and hostess had better reputation. | | C．It has become highly competitive with the Academy Awards. | | D．It is more friendly to the audience. |
小题4:Which of the following could be the best title for the passage?| A．Nothing new, but well done | | B．So old, still young | | C．New start, good change | | D．Too old to change |
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New rules for pubs and clubs, including a ban (禁令) on drinking games like the awful "dentist"s chair", will be introduced in Britain this year to prevent the heavy drinking culture, which costs the country billions of pounds a year.
Other activities like "all you can drink for 10 pounds ", "women drink free" nights and speed drinking competitions will also be banned.
But, on the other hand, offers of cheap alcohol in supermarkets will not be affected, which is widely regarded as one of the main sources of Britain"s problems with under-age and over-drinking.
Doctors and health experts argue that the government has failed to use its most effective weapon, the taxation(征税) of minimum price controls on alcohol.
Home Secretary Alan Johnson said that the government and the industry had a duty to act on heavy drinking." These bans have a real impact on society, not to mention the lives of those who just want to enjoy a good night out," he said.
“The dentist"s chair”, where drinks are poured directly into the mouth by others, was made famous by the celebrations of footballer Paul Gascoigne at Euro "96. That game and others that promote large consumption will be banned from April and publicans (酒店老板) will have to ensure free tap water is made available to the drinkers.
The government says over-drinking costs Britain up to 12 billion pounds a year and has announced that any pubs that go against the new mandatory code (强制性规定) will face severe punishment. For instance, publicans and vendors (小贩) could lose their licenses, be fined up to 20,000 pounds ($32,750) or face six months in prison.
小题1:New rules for pubs and clubs will be introduced in Britain to ban heavy drinking because ________.| A．people drink too much without paying taxes | | B．drinking games are infamous | | C．drinking competitions are very crazy | | D．drinking in the country costs too much |
小题2:Some people believe when the tough new rules come into effect, ________.| A．supermarkets will stop selling alcohol in low prices | | B．“women drink free” nights will not be closed | | C．over-drinking will still not be stopped | | D．under-age people will not continue drinking |
小题3:What is probably the most effective way to control alcohol?| A．bans | B．education | C．force | D．taxation |
小题4:According to the passage, “the dentist’s chair” is ________.| A．a chair for the patient whose teeth should be treated | | B．a drinking game made famous by the celebrations of footballers | | C．a way to advertise different types of alcohol | | D．to be banned in October this year |
小题5:What’s the main idea of the passage?| A．Heavy drinking will be banned in Britain. | | B．Over-drinking will be taxed. | | C．Drinking in Britain will be banned. | | D．12 billion pounds is spent on drinking. |
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阅读表达 （满分10分）
[1]A researcher who helped make crops grow in dry land areas received the World Food Prize last week. Daniel Hillel was recognized for his work in developing what is called “micro-irrigation" or “drip irrigation." It has made farming possible in places where there is little rainfall or water.
[2]Daniel Hillel"s farm near his home in Israel shows his ideas at work. “Each tree row is fed by these plastic tubes that drip water at the base of the tree." Watering plants drop by drop has changed agriculture by reducing the amount of water needed to grow crops.
[3]Farmers now depend on drip irrigation in many areas, including vineyards in Spain, onion fields in Africa, and even farms in the United States. Farmers in California grow about fifty percent of the fruits and vegetables of the continental United States. And the reason that is possible is because of these drip and micro-irrigation techniques.
[4]Daniel Hillel was born in California. After his father died, his mother moved the family to Palestine, where her parents lived. The area eventually became part of the state of Israel. Daniel Hillel got his start in dry land farming as a settler in Israel"s Negev Desert in the 1950s. “The issue was efficient use of water because land is available and extensive while Water is limited."
[5]Desert farmers were not able to push water through irrigation canals to their crops the way farmers have since ancient times. So Mr. Hillel and others gave plants just what they needed, just where they needed it. The idea was to apply the water little by little. The method worked so well that soon Mr. Hillel was traveling the world, showing others _____.
小题1:Why did Daniel Hillel win the World Food Prize? ( no more than15 words)
_____________________________________________________________________
小题2:How did drip irrigation change agriculture? ( no more than12 words)
_____________________________________________________________________
小题3:Fill in the blank in Paragraph 5 with proper words. ( no more than 5words)
_____________________________________________________________________
小题4:What’s the main idea of the text? ( no more than 12 words)
________________________________________
小题5:What does the underlined word “it” (Line3, Paragraph 1) probably refer to?
(no more than 3 words)
__________________________________________________________________ |
Marriages improve after children grow up and move out，according to an academic study, which suggests an “empty nest” is not always a bad thing.
Popular wisdom has it that parents’ relationships may suffer once their young fly the coop, because they feel they have lost their purpose in life.However, a new study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, has found that many couples actually feel happier when their children leave home because they are able to enjoy spending time together.
In total,123 American mothers born in the 1930s were tracked for 18 years and asked to rate their satisfaction levels shortly after marrying, when they were bringing up babies, once their children reached their teenage years and finally at age 61, when almost all had “empty nests”．
Although not all said they were happier in general, most claimed their marriages had improved since their children had left home. Researchers believe this is not just because the spouses were spending more time together, but because they were able to enjoy each other’s company more.
One of the participants in the study，which is published in the journal Psychological Science，said：“Once the kids grow up...there’s some of that stress removed...that responsibility removed，so things are a little more relaxed.”
Psychologist Sara Gorchoff，who carried out the investigation，said: “The takehome message for couples with young children is ‘hang in there’．” Her coauthor Oliver John added：“Don’t wait until your kids leave home to schedule quality time with your partner.”
However, Dr Dorothy Rowe，from the British Psychological Society，said the effects of living in an “empty nest” will depend on the parents’ relationship with their children.“If you’re just waiting for them to leave home so you can get on with your life，then of course you’ll be pleased to see them go,” she said, “But if you’ve built your life around your children you’ll be terribly lonely.For some parents，their world falls apart when their children leave.”
小题1:It is commonly believed that___________.| A．marriages improve after children leave home | | B．an “empty nest” is always a happy thing | | C．parents’ relationships may suffer once their young grow up and move out | | D．parents will be pleased after their children leave home |
小题2:When did many couples feel happier according to the study?| A．At age 61, when almost all had “empty nests”. | | B．Shortly after marrying. | | C．Once their children reached their teenage years. | | D．When they were bringing up babies. |
小题3:Marriages improve after children fly the coop not because___________.| A．many couples are able to spend time together | | B．many couples are able to enjoy each other’s company | | C．things are a little more relaxed | | D．many couples needn’t work at all |
小题4:The author of the passage tends to agree that____________.| A．parents should build their life around their kids | | B．parents should schedule quality time with each other before kids leave home | | C．parents’ relationship with their kids has no effect on marriages at all | | D．parents should be pleased to see their kids leave home |
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In Yemen, you always see one type of vehicle on the road: the water truck.They travel mountain roads and cross deserts to bring Yemenis the goods more valuable than oil.It is one that only the rich can afford, with the supply regularly being cut off.Others must rely on scarce rain or charity to fight thirst.
Experts say Yemen is going to be the first country in the world to run out of water.The capital, Sanaa, will run out of drinking water as early as 2025，says a report by the World Bank.
Hannan, an 18yearold from Lahej, said that only the rich could prepare for cuts in supply.“In a good week we’ll have a water supply all week but then the following week there will be water only for a day or two, ” she said.
She and her husband, a factory worker, pay 3,000 riyals (99 yuan) for a week’s supply of water from a touring water truck when the taps run dry.With an income of only 20,000 riyals (660 yuan) a month，this means the family often spend half their money on water.
“There are a lot of people who can’t afford it and they have to rely on their neighbors to help，” she said.
The average person in Yemen survives on onefifth of what the World Health Organization considers to be enough water.
In Taiz, in the south，tap water is available only once every 45 days.In the mountainous Malhan district in the north，women and children climb a 1,500m mountain to collect water from a spring, often in the small hours to avoid long queues.
Yemen is located in Southwest Asia，bordering the Arabian and Red Sea.Yemeni people have lived on scarce water supplies for thousands of years but that problem has been made serious by conflict in the area，the fastgrowing population and the use of water to grow a drug called qat.With one of the world’s highest rates of population growth—3.46 percent, Yemen is the poorest Arab country.
The government is considering desalinating (淡化) seawater，but this would be expensive and it may now be too late.The only other solution is to cut down on farming, but that means importing even more food.
小题1:The passage aims to________.| A．analyze the reasons why Yemen lacks water | | B．suggest some solutions to the water issue in Yemen | | C．present how serious the water problem is in Yemen | | D．encourage the world to help Yemenis who are suffering from water shortages |
小题2:When Hannan said that only the rich could prepare for cuts in supply，she meant that________.| A．rich people drank more water than the poor | | B．rich people could buy water from the water trucks if there was a water supply cut | | C．she had a rich neighbor who often helped her during water supply cuts | | D．the rich were not affected by water supply cuts |
小题3:Which of the following may be a reason why Yemen is short of water?| A．The country has had no rain for a long time. | | B．The population of Yemen is growing fast. | | C．The government has failed to reduce farming. | | D．People can’t afford the water from government water trucks. |
小题4:The best title for the passage is “________”．| A．Never take water for granted | | B．The water truck—the commonest sight in Yemen | | C．The first country to run out of water in the world | | D．No water for Yemen |
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