根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填人空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
题型：北京期中题难度：来源：
| 根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填人空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。 |
The Mississippi
The Mississippi is a great river whose relationship with man goes way back beyond its discovery in the
16th century. The River Indians used it as a highway and as a source of food, and it was they who gave it
its name-"misi" meaning "great" and "sipi" meaning "water". When the length of its branch, the Missouri, is
added to it, the Mississippi becomes greater. 1_____. From the source of the Missouri to the tip of the delta
(三角洲), it is 2480 miles long.
Great rivers are likely to suffer floods. In 1927 the Mississippi flooded 26 thousand acres, sweeping
away farms, towns, everything in its path. In 1938 its floods drowned or killed 200 people and made millions
homeless. Today the river has largely been controlled. 2_____.
Industries have spread down some of the waterways of the delta, but otherwise the delta is a remote place,
the homeland of a little colony of French Canadians that the British drove out of Nova Scotia in the 18th
century. They still speak French, mixed with English, Indian, Spanish and Negro idioms. They keep to
themselves, farming the rich soil of the delta. 3_____.
4_____. Pioneers who first reached its banks wondered not only where it went, but what lay beyond. In
1764 the French founded a city on the right bank of the river, and named it after their king, Louis XV. This
city, named St. Louis, became the jumping-off place for the adventurous men and women who opened up
the Great Plains, and the way to the Far West.
Some 40 years earlier, at the beginning of the 18th century, the French had founded another city just above
the Mississippi delta, New Orleans. 5_____. New Orleans is one of the great ports of the world, and one of
the greatest terminals for both sea and river traffic. |
A. It was the Mississippi that made the city what it is
B. Levees, high banks built of earth, hold back the flood waters
C. Therefore, as we know, it"s the third longest river in the world
D. It is known that the "Great Water" has also been a frontier river
E. However, they paddled up and down the Mississippi in their boats to seek their fortune
F. The "Great Water" always remains a thread, for the streets of the city are below the"level of the river
G. They call themselves Cajuns, who have actually been leading fairly primitive lives and preserving their own
traditions |
答案
| 1.C 2.B 3.G 4.D 5.A |
举一反三
| 阅读理解。 |
The Great Wall of China is one of Beijing"s biggest draws for tourists; despite its fame and ubiquity
in postcards across the world, it rarely fails to attract tourists at the first proper sight.
Yet the authorities open only certain sections of the wall as fit for viewing, and few get to visit the
unauthorized sections. Fewer still are aware of the existence of at least one part of the Wall that remains
in almost original condition, nearly 1, 500 years after construction of legendary fortification began. But
there"s a good reason for this-it"s underwater.
American journalist Steven Schwankert has been diving since age 10. It was through his setting-up
of a diving school that Schwankert came to explore some of lesser-known areas of China"s Iakes-and
discovered the underwater Wall under a reservoir.
"The most fascinating piece of diving I ever did in China must be the Great Wall. I managed to find
out about it via the Internet It wasn"t difficult to get to Pan Jiakou in Hebei Province, near the East Qing
Tomb about 4 hours" drive from Beijing. Why do I want to dive the Great Wall? Why do people want to
walk on the Great Wall? It"s the same answer."
There are, however, advantages of visiting the Great Wall in a diving suit over being on foot. The
water acts as a preservative by preventing the kind of mass tourism that has brought trouble on other
parts of the Wall. "Unlike the people who walk in the Wall, we as divers never need to actually touch it.
I"ve dived twice there, the last time in July. I found that the water then was much deeper than it was
before-13 meters deep.." When he first dived, parts of the Wall were visible above the surface. Now
even the guard tower is completely submerged. "It"s better that the Wall is deep under water, as there
are lots of boats coming in and out around that area. Their wave action could potentially damage the
brickwork. So, the deeper, the better." |
| 1. Steven Schwankert is most interested in _____. |
| [ ] |
A. collecting photos of the Wall
B. walking along on the Wall
C. diving the underwater Wall
D. visiting some famous lakes |
| 2. What does the underlined word "submerged" in Paragraph 5 most probably mean? |
| [ ] |
A. Damaged by water.
B. Washed by water.
C. Preserved by water.
D. Covered by water. |
| 3. What is the topic discussed in the last paragraph? |
| [ ] |
A. Advantages of walking on the Great Wall.
B. Advantages of visiting the underwater Wall.
C. The reasons why the Wall is deep under water.
D. The reasons why the underwater Wall is protected. |
| 4. What can we infer from the text? |
| [ ] |
A. The underwater Wall will sink deeper year by year.
B. Diving the Wall is popular with divers all over the world.
C. DiVing is a good way to visit the Wall without causing much damage.
D. More and more tourists will come to visit the underwater Wall in China. |
| 阅读理解。 |
The Parthenon in Athens is a building with a long and complex history. Built nearly 2 500 years ago as
a temple celebrating the Greek goddess Athena, it was for thousands of years the church of the Virgin Mary
of the Athenians, then a mosque (清真寺), and finally a ruin. The building was changed and the sculptures
much damaged over the centuries. By 1800 only about half of the original sculptural decoration remained.
Between 1801 and 1805, Lord Elgin, the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, which controlled
Athens, acting with the full knowledge and permission of the Ottoman authorities, removed about half of the
remaining sculptures from the fallen ruins and from the building itself. Lord Elgin loved Greek history and
transported the sculptures back to Britain. The arrival of the sculptures in London had a huge effect on the
European public, greatly increasing interest in ancient Greek culture and influencing contemporary artistic
trends. These sculptures were acquired from Lord Elgin by the British Museum in 1816 and since then they
have all been on display to the public, free of charge.
Since the early 1980s, however, the Greek government has argued for the permanent removal to Athens
of all the Parthenon sculptures in the British Museum. They have also challenged the British Museum Board
of Trustees" legal title to the sculptures.
The British Museum, however, insists that it exists to tell the story of cultural achievement throughout
the world, from the dawn of human history over two million years ago until the present day. The museum
considers itself an important resource for the world: the breadth and depth of its collection allows the world
public to re-examine cultural identities and explore the complex network of interconnected world cultures.
It also says that, within the context of this unparalleled collection, the Parthenon sculptures are an
important representation of ancient Athenian civilization. Each year millions of visitors admire the artistry of
the sculptures and gain insights on how ancient Greece influenced-and was influenced by-the other civilizations
that it encountered. |
| 1. For most of its history, people went to the Parthenon to _____. |
| [ ] |
A. admire the goddess Athena
B. pray to their god
C. search for sculptures
D. learn about its complex history |
| 2. The underlined "it" (in Paragraph 4) refers to "_____". |
| [ ] |
A. the British Museum
B. the Greek government
C. the Parthenon
D. the British Museum Board of Trustees |
| 3. What can we infer from the passage? |
| [ ] |
A. The sculptures introduced ancient Greek culture to the west.
B. Ancient Greek culture has greatly influenced world culture.
C. The British Museum has made much money from the Parthenon sculptures.
D. The British Museum is the place most capable of preserving these sculptures. |
| 4. What can we learn about Lord Elgin from the passage? |
| [ ] |
A. He is greatly admired in Greece.
B. He worked for the Ottoman Empire.
C. He saved the Parthenon sculptures from being destroyed.
D. He had a deep interest in Greek culture. |
| 5. The author"s main intention in writing this passage is to tell _____. |
| [ ] |
A. the history of the Parthenon and its sculptures
B. what people can see in the British Museum
C. why the British Museum refuses to return the sculptures
D. the influence of Greece on British culture |
| 阅读理解。 |
One of the min challenges facing many countries is how to maintain their identity in the face of globalization
and the growing multi-language trend "One of the main reasons for eco failure in many African countries is the
fact that, with a few important exceptions mother tongue education is not practiced in any of the independent
African states" said NeVille Alexander, Director of the Project for the Study of Alternative Education in south
Africa at the University of Cape Town.
In response to the spread of English and the increased multi-language trends arising from immigration, many
countries have introduced language laws in the last decade. In some, the use of languages other than the national
language is banned in public spaces such as advertising posters. One of the first such legal provisions the 1994
"Toubon law" in France, but the idea has been copied in many countries since then. Such efforts to govern
language use are often dismissed as futile by language experts, who are well aware of the difficulty of controlling
fashions in speech and know from research that language switching among bilinguals is a natural process.
It is especially difficult for native speakers of English to understand the desire to maintain the "purity" of a
language by law. Since the time of Shakespeare, English has continually absorbed foreign words into its own
language. English is one of the most mixed and rapidly changing languages in the world, but that has not been
a barrier to acquiring prestige and power. Another reason for the failure of many native English speakers to
understand the role of state regulation is that it has never been the Anglo-Saxon way of doing things. English
has never had a state-controlled authority for the language, similar, for example, to the Academie Francaise in
France.
The need to protect national languages is, for most western Europeans, a recent phenomenon-especially the
need to ensure that English does not unnecessarily take over too many fields. Public communication, education
and new modes of communication promoted by technology, may be key fields to defend. |
| 1. Neville Alexander believes that _____. |
| [ ] |
A. mother-tongue education is not practiced in all African countries
B. lack of mothertongue education can lead to economic failure
C. globalization has led to the rise of multi-language trends
D. globalization has resulted in the economic failure of Africa |
| 2. The underlined word "futile" (in Paragraph 2) most probably means "_____". |
| [ ] |
A. useless
B. practical
C. workable
D. unnecessary |
3. Why do many English-speaking countries not support the language protection efforts described in the
passage? |
| [ ] |
A. They think language protection laws are ineffective.
B. They want their language to spread to other countries.
C. They have a long history of taking words from other languages.
D. It reduces a language"s ability to acquire international importance. |
| 4. What can we infer from the last paragraph? |
| [ ] |
A. English has taken over fields like public communication and education.
B. Europeans have long realized the need to protect their national languages.
C. Most language experts believe it is important to promote a national language.
D. Many aspects of national culture are threatened by the spread of English. |
| 5. The best title for the passage is _____. |
| [ ] |
A. Fighting against the rule of English
B. Globalization and multi-language trends
C. Protecting local languages and identities
D. To maintain the purity of language by law |
| 阅读理解。 |
From the beginning of human history, wild animals provided food, clothing and sometimes medicine.
We may not depend as much on wild animals now. But we hear about them every day. Americans use the
names of animals in many ways. Automobile manufacturers and gasoline companies especially like to use
big cats to sell their products. They like lions, tigers and wildcats. When Americans say wildcat, they usually
mean a lynx, an ocelot or a bobcat. All these cats attack quickly and fiercely. So wildcats represent something
fast and fierce.
An early American use of the word wildcat was quite different. It was used to describe members of
Congress who declared war on Britain in 1812. A magazine of that year said the wildcat congressmen went
home. It said they were unable to face the responsibility of having involved their country in an unnecessary
war.
Wildcat also has been used as a name for money in the 1800s. At that time, some states permitted banks
to make their own money. One bank in the state of Michigan offered paper money with a picture of a wildeat
on it. Some banks, however, did not have enough gold to support all the paper money they offered. So the
money had little or no value. It was called a wildcat bill or a wildcat bank note. The banks who offered this
money were called wildcat banks. A newspaper of the time said those were the days of wildcat money. It
said a man might be rich in the morning and poor by night.
Wildcat then was also used for an oil well or gold mine that had almost no oil or gold in it. Dishonest
developers would buy such property. Then they would sell it and leave town with the money. The buyers
were left with worthless holes in the ground. Today, wildcat oil wells are in areas that are not known to have
oil. |
| 1. What is the main idea of the passage? |
| [ ] |
A. Wildcats and their stories.
B. Wildcats and their characters.
C. Varieties of animal species.
D. Relationship between animals and humans. |
| 2. From the passage we can know that _____. |
| [ ] |
A. wildcats represent the state of Michigan
B. the use of wildcat was not always the same
C. wildcats are the best friend of human beings
D. honest developers never buy wildcat oil wells |
| 3. The underlined words "a lynx, an ocelot or a bobcat" in Paragraph l may refer to "_____". |
| [ ] |
A. gasoline companies
B. automobile manufacturers
C. names of wildcats
D. brands of automobile |
| 4. Which of the following would people like to have or trust according to the passage? |
| [ ] |
A. Wildcat congressmen.
B. Wildcat oil wells.
C. Wildcat banks.
D. Wildcat cars. |
| 5. It can be inferred that during the days of wildcat money _____. |
| [ ] |
A. people couldn"t buy anything with the money
B. people didn"t know how to save money
C. the rich invested too much on oil wells
D. people complained and suffered a lot |
| 阅读理解。 |
The writings of Shakespeare are today little read by young people in Britain. His young readership is limited
to those who choose to study literature at university.
Shakespeare"s work, together with most other classics, is seen as remote, and written in a 400-year-old
version of English that is about as inviting as toothache.
Still, in British schools, it is compulsory to study the bard (诗人), and when something is made compulsory,
usually the result is boredom, resentment (憎恨) or both.
This was my experience of the classics at school. But when I reached my late teenage years, I had a change
of heart. Like every other young person since the dawn of time, the world confused me. I wanted answers, so
I turned to books to find them.
I went on to take a PhD in literature and have taught it in Britain and China. I have never regretted it. There
is something in literature that people want, even if they don"t read books. You see this in the popularity of TV
and movie adaptations of great works, the recent film version of Jane Austen"s Pride and Prejudice being a case
in point. These popular adaptations may help increase people"s interest in the classics.
Reading a simplified Romeo and Juliet may perhaps lead to a reading of Shakespeare play. If that is the case,
then I welcome the trend. But do not make the mistake of thinking that it is the same thing. Shakespeare is a
poet. His greatness is in his language. Reading someone else"s rewriting of his work is like peeling a banana,
throwing away the fruit, and eating the skin. Take on the original. It really is worth the effort. |
| 1. Which of the following is true according to the passage? |
| [ ] |
A. The language used in classics is no longer in use today.
B. British students usually find compulsory reading dull.
C. Only those studying literature read Shakespeare"s works.
D. For British people, Shakespeare"s works are no longer classics. |
| 2. According to the passage, the writer _____. |
|
A. has liked literary classics since an early age
B. was forced to read the classics for a PhD
C. turned to literature to seek answers in his teens
D. thinks only people who read books like literature |
| 3. The popularity of TV and movie adaptations of great works may help people _____. |
| [ ] |
A. learn more about tradition
B. get a PhD in literature
C. seek their answers about the world
D. become more interested in the classics |
| 4. The underlined phrase "a case in point" in Paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to "_____". |
| [ ] |
A. a great hit
B. a good example
C. a movie adaptation
D. a popular phenomenon |
| 5. What does the writer intend to tell us in the last paragraph? |
| [ ] |
A. The fruit of a banana is more useful than its skin.
B. The rewriting trend does more harm than good.
C. Readers should try to read the original versions.
D. Readers need to learn the language in the classics. |
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