论文部分内容阅读
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
（浙江卷）
Central Park
Outside among the trees， watch the wildlife —— both the human and animal varieties. Call（212）360-3465 or（212）360 -2726 for daily events and tours. Central Park stretches from 59th to 110th Sts. ， and from 5th Ave. to Central Park West.
Empire State building
This is among the most striking buildings in the city， the nation， even the world. The observation deck（瞭望台）on the 86th floor is open to general public， offering a wonderful view of the city. On the second floor you’ll find the New York Skyride， a simulated（模拟的）helicopter ride over Manhattan. 5th Ave. at 34th St. ， Midtown/（212）736-3100.
Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum
Five blocks west of Time Square， this museum has hundreds of air， deep-sea and space exhibits. Walk the fight deck of the 900-foot-long aircraft carrier Intrepid， see dozens of old and modern aircraft and ride the Intrepid Navy Flight Simulator. Pier 86， W. 46th St. and 12th Ave./（212）245-0072.
Madison Square Garden
If it’s big， it probably happens at the Garden. Check out sporting events， concerts and much more. Tours are available. 7th Ave. ， btwn. 31st and 33rd Sts.， Midtown /（212）465-6741.
1. What is the New York Skyride used for？
A. Sightseeing. B. Fight training.
C. Model plane sports. D. City transportation.
2. What is the purpose of these texts？
A. To provide information of living in New York.
B. To provide directions of city traffic in New York.
C. To give visitors a guide to New York.
D. To give a brief introduction to the history of New York.
（江苏卷）Su Hua is studying at Cambridge， UK. She has bought a bicycle and is worried about security（安全）. Her friend， Kate， found this article and sent it to her.
Introduction
A lot of crime is against bicycles. About 150，000 bicycles are stolen every year and most are never found. You can prevent this happening by following a few careful steps.
Basic Security
Do not leave your bicycle in out-of-the-way places. Always lock your bicycle when you leave. Secure it to lampposts or trees. Take off smaller parts and take them with you， for example lights and saddles （車座）.
Locks
Get a good lock. There are many different types in the shops. Buy one that has been tested against attack. Ask for a recommendation from a bike shop.
Marking
Security marking your bike can act as a deterrent to a thief. It can also help the police find your bicycle. It should be clearly written and include your postcode and your house or flat number. This will provide a simple way to identify your bicycle. Registration
There are a number of companies who will security mark your bicycle for you. They will then put your registration number and personal details on their computer database. Then if your bicycle is found it will be easy to contact you.
Finally
Keep a record of the bicycle yourself： its make， model and registration number. You can even take a photograph of it. This will prove the bicycle belongs to you.
1. Which part of the text gives you information on how to lock up your bicycle when you leave it？
A. Locks. B. Marking.
C. Registration. D. Basic Security.
2. What does the underlined phrase“act as a deterrent to a thief”mean？
A. Help you recognize your bike.
B. Help the police find your bicycle.
C. Stop someone stealing your bicycle.
D. Stop you worrying about your bike.
3. What is the main purpose of this article？
A. To tell you what to do if your bicycle is stolen.
B. To suggest ways of keeping your bicycle safe.
C. To give you advice on where to buy a good lock.
D. To say why you shouldn’t keep your bicycle in a quiet place.s
（北京卷）EP Portable Heater
We all know that the cost of heating our homes will continue to be a significant burden on the family budget. Now millions of people are saving on their heating bills with the EP portable heater. With over one million satisfied customers around the world， the new EP heats better and faster， saves more on heating bills， and runs almost silent.
The EP has no exposed heating parts that can cause a fire. The outside of EP only gets warm to the touch so that it will not burn children or pets.
The EP will not reduce oxygen in the room. With other heaters， you’ll notice that you get sleepy when the heat comes on because they are burning up oxygen.
The advanced EP also heats the room evenly， wall to wall and floor to ceiling. It comfortably covers an area up to 350 square feet. Other heaters heat rooms unevenly with most of the heat concentrated to the center of the room. And they only heat an area a few feet around the heater. With the EP， the temperature will not vary in any part of the room.
The EP comes with a 3-year warranty（保修）and a 60-day， no questions asked， satisfaction guarantee. If you are not totally satisfied， return it at our expense and your money will be given back to you.
Now， we have a special offer for 10 days， during which you can enjoy a half price discount and a free delivery. If you order after that， we reserve the right to either accept or reject order requests at the discounted price. Take action right now！
1. What is mainly discussed in paragraph 2？
A. The heat of the EP. B. The safety of the EP.
C. The appearance of the EP. D. The material of the EP.
2. What does the underlined word“evenly”in Paragraph 4 probably mean？
A. Continuously. B. Separately.
C. Quickly. D. Equally.
3. What is the main purpose of the passage？
A. To persuade people to buy the product.
B. To advise people to save on heating bills.
C. To report the new development of portable heaters.
D. To compare the functions of different heart brands.
（重慶卷）There have always been a lot of commonly believed but false ideas about being fat and doing exercise. Some people believe that they can’t help putting on weight as they get older， while others hold that if they stop exercising， their muscles will turn into fat. Here are some more myths：
I’ll never lose weight——I come from a fat family
Wrong！While we can’t change the body type we are born with， we can’t blame our genes for making us fat. There’s plenty of evidence that fatness runs in families， and the main reason is that they share the same habits of eating too much and exercise too little.
I am fat because I burn calories slowly
Wrong！Fatness is not caused by a slow metabolism （新陈代谢）. If fact， although fat people consume more energy than slim people， they also fail to realize how much they eat！Keeping a diary can help you work out your daily food intake more accurately.
Exercise is boring
Wrong！Anything will become boring if you do it repetitively. The key is to develop a balanced and varied program that’s fun as well as progressive. If you enjoy a Sunday walk， take a different route. If you do Yoga， try a tai chi class. If you like swimming， set yourself a distance or time challenge.
No pain， no gain
Wrong！Exercise is not meant to hurt. Indeed， pain is your body telling you something’s wrong， and continuing to exercise could lead to serious injury. You may experience mild discomfort as you begin to exercise regularly， but this is your body adapting to the positive changes in your lifestyle and the aches should disappear relatively quickly. If they don’t， rest and seek medical advice.
1. What does the author think about being fat？
A. It is the family genes that make people fat.
B. People are fat because they consume too little energy. C. A diary of exercise can prevent people from becoming fat.
D. It is the consequence of people’s unbalanced lifestyle.
2. What is the author’s opinion about“No pain， no gain” in exercising？
A. Keeping fit is essentially a painful experience.
B. Exercise should be stopped if continuous pain is felt.
C. Pain in exercise is a precondition for reaching your goal.
D. Getting used to pain leads to positive changes in your body.
3. What is the purpose of the passage？
A. To declare the importance of keeping fit.
B. To clarify some misconceptions about fatness and exercise.
C. To confirm what has long been believed about keeping fit.
D. To explain some medical facts about being fat and doing exercise.
（江蘇卷）
Hi， everybody ！
Welcome to our newly-opened Richards Cinema Bookstore！
Now let me introduce to you some of the new film books in our store.
Are you Chinese film fans？ OK， here comes the latest 25 New Takes about Chinese films. It is a collection of 25 fresh readings of different Chinese films from the 1930s to the present. In recent years， Chinese films are very popular in the States， such as Crouching Tiger and Hidden Dragon， Hero， and Flowers of Shanghai.
Do you like French films？ Well， here is The French Cinema Book. It covers French films from the 1890s to the beginning of the 21st century. It is written for all lovers of French cinema： students and teachers， specialists and fans， and so on.
Maybe you are Indian film fans and star-chasers. Then here is Encyclopedia（百科全书）of Indian Cinema. The book is a complete introduction to all the best Indian films. It also offers a full list of names of the famous and successful film stars in the past ten years. You know， the Indian film industry is the largest in the world after our Hollywood.
If you like British films， we have The British Cinema Book. It is a good review of British cinema. This book contains a good many nice pictures.
In our bookstore， you can also find books about Mexican， Japanese， Australian， German and Italian films.
Well， please help yourselves to some coffee or tea， and have a good time here！
1. Who is the speaker of the passage likely to be？
A. The author of 25 New Takes.
B. A tourist in the cinema bookstore.
C. The manager of the cinema bookstore.
D. A reader of Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema. 2. How many Asian countries does the speaker refer to when he talks about the film books？
A. Two. B. Three. C. Four. D. Nine.
3. What is the purpose of the speaker？
A. To satisfy the customers’various tastes.
B. To keep the authors in the cinema bookstore.
C. To offer the tourists chances to meet the film stars.
D. To take the readers into film producers.
（北京卷）
December 15，2014
Dear Alfred，
I want to tell you how important your help is to my life.
Growing up， I had people telling me I was too slow， though， with an IQ of 150 at 17， I’m anything but stupid. The fact was that I was found to have ADHD （注意力缺陷多動障碍）. Anxious all the time， I was unable to keep focused for more than an hour at a time.
However， when something did interest me， I could become absorbed. In high school， I became curious about the computer， and built my first website. Moreover， I completed the senior course of Computer Basics， plus five relevant pre-college courses.
While I was exploring my curiosity， my disease got worse. I wanted to go to college after high school， but couldn’t. So， I was killing my time at home until June 2012 when I discovered the online computer courses of your training center.
Since then， I have taken courses like Data Science and Advanced Mathematics. Currently， I’m learning your Probability course. I have hundreds of printer paper， covered in self-written notes from your video. This has given me a purpose.
Last year， I spent all my time looking for a job where， without dealing with the public， I could work alone， but still have a team to talk to. Luckily， I discovered the job——Data Analyst——this month and have been going full steam ahead. I want to prove that I can teach myself a respectful profession， without going to college， and be just as good as， if not better than， my competitors.
Thank you. You’ve given me hope that I can follow my heart. For the first time， I feel good about myself because I’m doing something， not because someone told me I was doing good. I feel whole.
This is why you’re saving my life.
Yours，
Tanis
1. Why didn’t Tanis go to college after high school？
A. She had learned enough about computer science.
B. She had more difficulty keeping focused.
C. She preferred taking online courses.
D. She was too slow to learn.
2. What is the Tanis’s purpose in writing this letter？ A. To explain why she was interested in the computer.
B. To share the ideas she had for her profession.
C. To show how grateful she was to the center.
D. To describe the courses she had taken so far.
（重慶卷）Since many of you are planning to study at a college or university in this country， you may be curious to know what you usually do in a typical week， how you can get along with your fellow students， and so on. These are the questions I want to discuss with you today.
First， let’s talk about what your weekly schedule will look like. No matter what your major may be， you can expect to spend between four and six hours a week for each class attending lectures. Lectures are usually in very large rooms because some courses such as introduction to sociology （社会学） or economics often have as many as two or three hundred students， especially at large universities. In lectures， it’s very important for you to take notes on what the professor says because the information a lecture is often different from the information in your textbooks. Also， you can expect to have exam questions based on the lectures. So it isn’t enough to just read your textbooks； you have to attend lectures as well. In a typical week you will also have a couple of hours of discussion for every class you take. The discussion section is a small group meeting usually with fewer than thirty students where you can ask questions about the lectures， the reading， and the homework. In large universities， graduate students， called teaching assistants， usually direct discussion sections.
If your major is chemistry， or physics， or another science， you’ll also have to spend several hours a week in the lab， or laboratory， doing experiments. This means that science majors spend more time in the classroom than non-science majors do. On the other hand， people who major in subjects like literature or history usually have to read and write more than science majors do.
1. What is the main purpose of this text？
A. To help the students to learn about university life.
B. To persuade the students to attend lectures.
C. To encourage the students to take part in discussions.
D. To advise the students to choose proper majors.
2. According to the author， which of the following is TRUE about science majors ？
A. They have to work harder than non-science majors.
B. They spend less time on their studies than non-science majors. C. They consider experiments more important than discussions.
D. They read and write less than non-science majors.
（重庆卷）There is no better way to enjoy Scottish traditions than going fishing and tasting a little bit whisky （威士忌） at a quiet place like the Inverlochy Castle. When Queen Victoria visited the castle in 1873 she wrote in her diary， “I never saw a lovelier spot.” And she didn’t even go fishing.
Scotland is not easily defined. In certain moments， this quiet land of lakes and grasses and mountains changes before your very eyes. When evening gently sweeps the hillside into orange light， the rivers， teeming with fish， can turn into streams of gold. As you settle down with just a fishing pole and a basket on the bank of River Orchy， near the Inverlochy Castle， any frustration （煩恼） will float away as gently as the circling water. It’s just you and purple， pink， white flowers， seeking a perfect harmony. If you are a new comer to fishing， learning the basics from a fishing guide may leave you with a lifetime’s fun. Four many， fishing is more than a sport； it is an art.
Scotland offers interesting places where you can rest after a long day’s fishing. Set against a wild mountain and hidden behind woodland， the beautiful Inverlochy Castle Hotel below the Nevis is a perfect place to see the beauty of Scotland’s mountains. Ben Nevis is the highest of all British mountains， and reaching its 1343-metre top is a challenge. But it’s not just what goes up that matters； what comes down is unique. More than 900 metres high， on the mountain’s north face， lies an all-important source of pure water. Its name comes from the Gaelic language “usquebaugh” or “water of life”； And it is the single most important ingredient （原料） in Scotland’s best known drink： whisky.
1. The story of Queen Victoria is to show that __________.
A. the queen is rich in tour experience
B. the Castle is a good place to go in Scotland
C. tasting whisky is better than going fishing
D.1873 is a special year for the Queen
2. How is Paragraph 2 mainly developed？
A. By giving descriptions.
B. By following time order.
C. By analyzing causes.
D. By making comparisons.
3. What is the main purpose of the passage？
A. To introduce Scottish traditions to tourists.
B. To show the attractions of Scotland to readers.
C. To explore geographical characteristics of Scotland. D. To describe the pleasure of life in Scotland.
（重慶卷）It is widely known that any English conversation begins with The Weather. Such a fixation with the weather finds expression in Dr. Johnson’s famous comment that“When two English meet， their first talk is of weather.” Though Johnson’s observation is as accurate now as it was over two hundred years ago， most commentators fail to come up with a convincing explanation for this English weather-speak.
Bill Bryson， for example， concludes that， as the English weather is not at all exciting， the obsession with it can hardly be understood. He argues that “To an outsider， the most striking thing about the English weather is that there is not very much of it.” Simply， the reason is that the unusual and unpredictable weather is almost unknown in the British Isles.
Jeremy Paxman， however， disagrees with Bryson， arguing that the English weather is by nature attractive. Bryson is wrong， he says， because the English preference for the weather has nothing to do with the natural phenomena.“The interest is less in the phenomena themselves， but in uncertainty.” According to him， the weather in England is very changeable and uncertain and it attracts the English as well as the outsider.
Bryson and Paxman stand for common misconceptions about the weather-speak among the English. Both commentators， somehow， are missing the point. The English weather conversation is not really about the weather at all. English weather-speak is a system of signs， which is developed to help the speakers overcome the natural reserve and actually talk to each other. Everyone knows conversations starting with weather-speak are not requests for weather data. Rather， they are routine greetings， conversation starters or the blank “fillers”. In other words， English weather-speak is a means of social bonding.
1. The author mentions Dr. Johnson’s comment to show that __________.
A. most commentators agree with Dr. Johnson
B. Dr. Johnson is famous for his weather observation
C. the comment was accurate two hundred years ago
D. English conversations usually start with the weather
2. What does the underlined word “obsession” most probably refer to？
A. A social trend.
B. An emotional state.
C. A historical concept.
D. An unknown phenomenon.
3. What is the author’s main purpose of writing the passage？
A. To explain what English weather-speak is about. D. To introduce different types of environment-friendly sports.
（重慶卷）Getting rid of dirt， in the opinion of most people， is a good thing. However， there is nothing fixed about attitudes to dirt.
In the early 16th century， people thought that dirt on the skin was a means to block out disease， as medical opinion had it that washing off dirt with hot water could open up the skin and let ills in. A particular danger was thought to lie in public baths. By 1538， the French king had closed the bath houses in his kingdom. So did the king of England in 1546. Thus began a long time when the rich and the poor in Europe lived with dirt in a friendly way. Henry IV， King of France， was famously dirty. Upon learning that a nobleman had taken a bath， the king ordered that， to avoid the attack of disease， the nobleman should not go out.
Though the belief in the merit（优点）of dirt was long-lived， dirt has no longer been regarded as a nice neighbor ever since the 18th century. Scientifically speaking， cleaning away dirt is good to health. Clean water supply and hand washing are practical means of preventing disease. Yet， it seems that standards of cleanliness have moved beyond science since World War Ⅱ. Advertisements repeatedly sell the idea： clothes need to be whiter than white， cloths ever softer， surfaces to shine. Has the hate for dirt， however， gone too far？
Attitudes to dirt still differ hugely nowadays. Many first-time parents nervously try to warn their children off touching dirt， which might be responsible for the spread of disease. On the contrary， Mary Ruebush， an American immunologist（免疫学家）， encourages children to play in the dirt to build up a strong immune system. And the latter position is gaining some ground.
1. Which of the following best describes Henry IV’s attitude to bathing？
A. Afraid. B. Curious.
C. Approving. D. Uninterested.
2. How does the passage mainly develop？
A. By providing examples.
B. By making comparisons.
C. By following the order of time.
D. By following the order of importance.
3. What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage？
A. To stress the role of dirt.
B. To introduce the history of dirt.
C. To call attention to the danger of dirt.
D. To present the change of views on dirt.
（重庆卷）To take the apple as a forbidden fruit is the most unlikely story the Christians （基督教徒） have ever cooked up. For them， the forbidden fruit from Eden is evil （邪恶的）. So when Columbus brought the tomato back from South America， a land mistakenly considered to be Eden， everyone jumped to the obvious conclusion. Wrongly taken as the apple of Eden， the tomato was shut out of the door of Europeans. What made it particularly terrifying was its similarity to the mandrake， a plant that was thought to have come from Hell （地狱）. What earned the plant its awful reputation was its roots which looked like a dried-up human body occupied by evil spirits. Though the tomato and the mandrake were quite different except that both had bright red or yellow fruit， the general population considered them one and the same， too terrible to touch.
Cautious Europeans long ignored the tomato， and until the early 1700s most of the Western people continued to drag their feet. In the 1880s， the daughter of a well-known plant expert wrote that the most interesting part of an afternoon tea at her father’s house had been the “introduction of this wonderful new fruit——or is it a vegetable？” As late as the twentieth century some writers still classed tomatoes with mandrakes as an “evil fruit”.
But in the end tomatoes carried the day. The hero of the tomato was an American named Robert Johnson， and when he was publicly going to eat the tomato in 1820， people journeyed for hundreds of miles to watch him drop dead. “What are you afraid of？” he shouted. “I’ll show you fools that these things are good to eat！” Then he bit into the tomato. Some people fainted. But he survived and， according to a local story， set up a tomato-canning factory.
1. What can we infer the underlined part in Paragraph 3 ？
A. The process of ignoring the tomato slowed down.
B. There was little progress in the study of the tomato.
C. The tomato was still refused in most western countries.
D. Most western people continued to get rid of the tomato.
2. What is the main reason for Robert Johnson to eat the tomato publicly ？
A. To make himself a hero.
B. To remove people’s fear of the tomato.
C. To speed up the popularity of the tomato.
D. To persuade people to buy products from his factory.
3. What is the main purpose of the passage？
A. To challenge people’s fixed concepts of the tomato.
B. To give an explanation to people’s dislike of the tomato.
C. To present the change of people’s attitudes to the tomato.
D. To show the process of freeing the tomato from religious influence.
答案與点拨
（一）本文是广告类阅读，主要介绍了纽约几处景点的相关信息，包括中央公园、帝国大厦、无畏号海空博物馆和麦迪逊广场花园。
1. A 细节理解题。由the New York Skyride可定位到第二则广告，再根据第二句The observation deck （瞭望台） on the 86th floor is open to general public， offering a wonderful view of the city. 可知，Skyride是用于观光的，故选A。
（浙江卷）
Central Park
Outside among the trees， watch the wildlife —— both the human and animal varieties. Call（212）360-3465 or（212）360 -2726 for daily events and tours. Central Park stretches from 59th to 110th Sts. ， and from 5th Ave. to Central Park West.
Empire State building
This is among the most striking buildings in the city， the nation， even the world. The observation deck（瞭望台）on the 86th floor is open to general public， offering a wonderful view of the city. On the second floor you’ll find the New York Skyride， a simulated（模拟的）helicopter ride over Manhattan. 5th Ave. at 34th St. ， Midtown/（212）736-3100.
Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum
Five blocks west of Time Square， this museum has hundreds of air， deep-sea and space exhibits. Walk the fight deck of the 900-foot-long aircraft carrier Intrepid， see dozens of old and modern aircraft and ride the Intrepid Navy Flight Simulator. Pier 86， W. 46th St. and 12th Ave./（212）245-0072.
Madison Square Garden
If it’s big， it probably happens at the Garden. Check out sporting events， concerts and much more. Tours are available. 7th Ave. ， btwn. 31st and 33rd Sts.， Midtown /（212）465-6741.
1. What is the New York Skyride used for？
A. Sightseeing. B. Fight training.
C. Model plane sports. D. City transportation.
2. What is the purpose of these texts？
A. To provide information of living in New York.
B. To provide directions of city traffic in New York.
C. To give visitors a guide to New York.
D. To give a brief introduction to the history of New York.
（江苏卷）Su Hua is studying at Cambridge， UK. She has bought a bicycle and is worried about security（安全）. Her friend， Kate， found this article and sent it to her.
Introduction
A lot of crime is against bicycles. About 150，000 bicycles are stolen every year and most are never found. You can prevent this happening by following a few careful steps.
Basic Security
Do not leave your bicycle in out-of-the-way places. Always lock your bicycle when you leave. Secure it to lampposts or trees. Take off smaller parts and take them with you， for example lights and saddles （車座）.
Locks
Get a good lock. There are many different types in the shops. Buy one that has been tested against attack. Ask for a recommendation from a bike shop.
Marking
Security marking your bike can act as a deterrent to a thief. It can also help the police find your bicycle. It should be clearly written and include your postcode and your house or flat number. This will provide a simple way to identify your bicycle. Registration
There are a number of companies who will security mark your bicycle for you. They will then put your registration number and personal details on their computer database. Then if your bicycle is found it will be easy to contact you.
Finally
Keep a record of the bicycle yourself： its make， model and registration number. You can even take a photograph of it. This will prove the bicycle belongs to you.
1. Which part of the text gives you information on how to lock up your bicycle when you leave it？
A. Locks. B. Marking.
C. Registration. D. Basic Security.
2. What does the underlined phrase“act as a deterrent to a thief”mean？
A. Help you recognize your bike.
B. Help the police find your bicycle.
C. Stop someone stealing your bicycle.
D. Stop you worrying about your bike.
3. What is the main purpose of this article？
A. To tell you what to do if your bicycle is stolen.
B. To suggest ways of keeping your bicycle safe.
C. To give you advice on where to buy a good lock.
D. To say why you shouldn’t keep your bicycle in a quiet place.s
（北京卷）EP Portable Heater
We all know that the cost of heating our homes will continue to be a significant burden on the family budget. Now millions of people are saving on their heating bills with the EP portable heater. With over one million satisfied customers around the world， the new EP heats better and faster， saves more on heating bills， and runs almost silent.
The EP has no exposed heating parts that can cause a fire. The outside of EP only gets warm to the touch so that it will not burn children or pets.
The EP will not reduce oxygen in the room. With other heaters， you’ll notice that you get sleepy when the heat comes on because they are burning up oxygen.
The advanced EP also heats the room evenly， wall to wall and floor to ceiling. It comfortably covers an area up to 350 square feet. Other heaters heat rooms unevenly with most of the heat concentrated to the center of the room. And they only heat an area a few feet around the heater. With the EP， the temperature will not vary in any part of the room.
The EP comes with a 3-year warranty（保修）and a 60-day， no questions asked， satisfaction guarantee. If you are not totally satisfied， return it at our expense and your money will be given back to you.
Now， we have a special offer for 10 days， during which you can enjoy a half price discount and a free delivery. If you order after that， we reserve the right to either accept or reject order requests at the discounted price. Take action right now！
1. What is mainly discussed in paragraph 2？
A. The heat of the EP. B. The safety of the EP.
C. The appearance of the EP. D. The material of the EP.
2. What does the underlined word“evenly”in Paragraph 4 probably mean？
A. Continuously. B. Separately.
C. Quickly. D. Equally.
3. What is the main purpose of the passage？
A. To persuade people to buy the product.
B. To advise people to save on heating bills.
C. To report the new development of portable heaters.
D. To compare the functions of different heart brands.
（重慶卷）There have always been a lot of commonly believed but false ideas about being fat and doing exercise. Some people believe that they can’t help putting on weight as they get older， while others hold that if they stop exercising， their muscles will turn into fat. Here are some more myths：
I’ll never lose weight——I come from a fat family
Wrong！While we can’t change the body type we are born with， we can’t blame our genes for making us fat. There’s plenty of evidence that fatness runs in families， and the main reason is that they share the same habits of eating too much and exercise too little.
I am fat because I burn calories slowly
Wrong！Fatness is not caused by a slow metabolism （新陈代谢）. If fact， although fat people consume more energy than slim people， they also fail to realize how much they eat！Keeping a diary can help you work out your daily food intake more accurately.
Exercise is boring
Wrong！Anything will become boring if you do it repetitively. The key is to develop a balanced and varied program that’s fun as well as progressive. If you enjoy a Sunday walk， take a different route. If you do Yoga， try a tai chi class. If you like swimming， set yourself a distance or time challenge.
No pain， no gain
Wrong！Exercise is not meant to hurt. Indeed， pain is your body telling you something’s wrong， and continuing to exercise could lead to serious injury. You may experience mild discomfort as you begin to exercise regularly， but this is your body adapting to the positive changes in your lifestyle and the aches should disappear relatively quickly. If they don’t， rest and seek medical advice.
1. What does the author think about being fat？
A. It is the family genes that make people fat.
B. People are fat because they consume too little energy. C. A diary of exercise can prevent people from becoming fat.
D. It is the consequence of people’s unbalanced lifestyle.
2. What is the author’s opinion about“No pain， no gain” in exercising？
A. Keeping fit is essentially a painful experience.
B. Exercise should be stopped if continuous pain is felt.
C. Pain in exercise is a precondition for reaching your goal.
D. Getting used to pain leads to positive changes in your body.
3. What is the purpose of the passage？
A. To declare the importance of keeping fit.
B. To clarify some misconceptions about fatness and exercise.
C. To confirm what has long been believed about keeping fit.
D. To explain some medical facts about being fat and doing exercise.
（江蘇卷）
Hi， everybody ！
Welcome to our newly-opened Richards Cinema Bookstore！
Now let me introduce to you some of the new film books in our store.
Are you Chinese film fans？ OK， here comes the latest 25 New Takes about Chinese films. It is a collection of 25 fresh readings of different Chinese films from the 1930s to the present. In recent years， Chinese films are very popular in the States， such as Crouching Tiger and Hidden Dragon， Hero， and Flowers of Shanghai.
Do you like French films？ Well， here is The French Cinema Book. It covers French films from the 1890s to the beginning of the 21st century. It is written for all lovers of French cinema： students and teachers， specialists and fans， and so on.
Maybe you are Indian film fans and star-chasers. Then here is Encyclopedia（百科全书）of Indian Cinema. The book is a complete introduction to all the best Indian films. It also offers a full list of names of the famous and successful film stars in the past ten years. You know， the Indian film industry is the largest in the world after our Hollywood.
If you like British films， we have The British Cinema Book. It is a good review of British cinema. This book contains a good many nice pictures.
In our bookstore， you can also find books about Mexican， Japanese， Australian， German and Italian films.
Well， please help yourselves to some coffee or tea， and have a good time here！
1. Who is the speaker of the passage likely to be？
A. The author of 25 New Takes.
B. A tourist in the cinema bookstore.
C. The manager of the cinema bookstore.
D. A reader of Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema. 2. How many Asian countries does the speaker refer to when he talks about the film books？
A. Two. B. Three. C. Four. D. Nine.
3. What is the purpose of the speaker？
A. To satisfy the customers’various tastes.
B. To keep the authors in the cinema bookstore.
C. To offer the tourists chances to meet the film stars.
D. To take the readers into film producers.
（北京卷）
December 15，2014
Dear Alfred，
I want to tell you how important your help is to my life.
Growing up， I had people telling me I was too slow， though， with an IQ of 150 at 17， I’m anything but stupid. The fact was that I was found to have ADHD （注意力缺陷多動障碍）. Anxious all the time， I was unable to keep focused for more than an hour at a time.
However， when something did interest me， I could become absorbed. In high school， I became curious about the computer， and built my first website. Moreover， I completed the senior course of Computer Basics， plus five relevant pre-college courses.
While I was exploring my curiosity， my disease got worse. I wanted to go to college after high school， but couldn’t. So， I was killing my time at home until June 2012 when I discovered the online computer courses of your training center.
Since then， I have taken courses like Data Science and Advanced Mathematics. Currently， I’m learning your Probability course. I have hundreds of printer paper， covered in self-written notes from your video. This has given me a purpose.
Last year， I spent all my time looking for a job where， without dealing with the public， I could work alone， but still have a team to talk to. Luckily， I discovered the job——Data Analyst——this month and have been going full steam ahead. I want to prove that I can teach myself a respectful profession， without going to college， and be just as good as， if not better than， my competitors.
Thank you. You’ve given me hope that I can follow my heart. For the first time， I feel good about myself because I’m doing something， not because someone told me I was doing good. I feel whole.
This is why you’re saving my life.
Yours，
Tanis
1. Why didn’t Tanis go to college after high school？
A. She had learned enough about computer science.
B. She had more difficulty keeping focused.
C. She preferred taking online courses.
D. She was too slow to learn.
2. What is the Tanis’s purpose in writing this letter？ A. To explain why she was interested in the computer.
B. To share the ideas she had for her profession.
C. To show how grateful she was to the center.
D. To describe the courses she had taken so far.
（重慶卷）Since many of you are planning to study at a college or university in this country， you may be curious to know what you usually do in a typical week， how you can get along with your fellow students， and so on. These are the questions I want to discuss with you today.
First， let’s talk about what your weekly schedule will look like. No matter what your major may be， you can expect to spend between four and six hours a week for each class attending lectures. Lectures are usually in very large rooms because some courses such as introduction to sociology （社会学） or economics often have as many as two or three hundred students， especially at large universities. In lectures， it’s very important for you to take notes on what the professor says because the information a lecture is often different from the information in your textbooks. Also， you can expect to have exam questions based on the lectures. So it isn’t enough to just read your textbooks； you have to attend lectures as well. In a typical week you will also have a couple of hours of discussion for every class you take. The discussion section is a small group meeting usually with fewer than thirty students where you can ask questions about the lectures， the reading， and the homework. In large universities， graduate students， called teaching assistants， usually direct discussion sections.
If your major is chemistry， or physics， or another science， you’ll also have to spend several hours a week in the lab， or laboratory， doing experiments. This means that science majors spend more time in the classroom than non-science majors do. On the other hand， people who major in subjects like literature or history usually have to read and write more than science majors do.
1. What is the main purpose of this text？
A. To help the students to learn about university life.
B. To persuade the students to attend lectures.
C. To encourage the students to take part in discussions.
D. To advise the students to choose proper majors.
2. According to the author， which of the following is TRUE about science majors ？
A. They have to work harder than non-science majors.
B. They spend less time on their studies than non-science majors. C. They consider experiments more important than discussions.
D. They read and write less than non-science majors.
（重庆卷）There is no better way to enjoy Scottish traditions than going fishing and tasting a little bit whisky （威士忌） at a quiet place like the Inverlochy Castle. When Queen Victoria visited the castle in 1873 she wrote in her diary， “I never saw a lovelier spot.” And she didn’t even go fishing.
Scotland is not easily defined. In certain moments， this quiet land of lakes and grasses and mountains changes before your very eyes. When evening gently sweeps the hillside into orange light， the rivers， teeming with fish， can turn into streams of gold. As you settle down with just a fishing pole and a basket on the bank of River Orchy， near the Inverlochy Castle， any frustration （煩恼） will float away as gently as the circling water. It’s just you and purple， pink， white flowers， seeking a perfect harmony. If you are a new comer to fishing， learning the basics from a fishing guide may leave you with a lifetime’s fun. Four many， fishing is more than a sport； it is an art.
Scotland offers interesting places where you can rest after a long day’s fishing. Set against a wild mountain and hidden behind woodland， the beautiful Inverlochy Castle Hotel below the Nevis is a perfect place to see the beauty of Scotland’s mountains. Ben Nevis is the highest of all British mountains， and reaching its 1343-metre top is a challenge. But it’s not just what goes up that matters； what comes down is unique. More than 900 metres high， on the mountain’s north face， lies an all-important source of pure water. Its name comes from the Gaelic language “usquebaugh” or “water of life”； And it is the single most important ingredient （原料） in Scotland’s best known drink： whisky.
1. The story of Queen Victoria is to show that __________.
A. the queen is rich in tour experience
B. the Castle is a good place to go in Scotland
C. tasting whisky is better than going fishing
D.1873 is a special year for the Queen
2. How is Paragraph 2 mainly developed？
A. By giving descriptions.
B. By following time order.
C. By analyzing causes.
D. By making comparisons.
3. What is the main purpose of the passage？
A. To introduce Scottish traditions to tourists.
B. To show the attractions of Scotland to readers.
C. To explore geographical characteristics of Scotland. D. To describe the pleasure of life in Scotland.
（重慶卷）It is widely known that any English conversation begins with The Weather. Such a fixation with the weather finds expression in Dr. Johnson’s famous comment that“When two English meet， their first talk is of weather.” Though Johnson’s observation is as accurate now as it was over two hundred years ago， most commentators fail to come up with a convincing explanation for this English weather-speak.
Bill Bryson， for example， concludes that， as the English weather is not at all exciting， the obsession with it can hardly be understood. He argues that “To an outsider， the most striking thing about the English weather is that there is not very much of it.” Simply， the reason is that the unusual and unpredictable weather is almost unknown in the British Isles.
Jeremy Paxman， however， disagrees with Bryson， arguing that the English weather is by nature attractive. Bryson is wrong， he says， because the English preference for the weather has nothing to do with the natural phenomena.“The interest is less in the phenomena themselves， but in uncertainty.” According to him， the weather in England is very changeable and uncertain and it attracts the English as well as the outsider.
Bryson and Paxman stand for common misconceptions about the weather-speak among the English. Both commentators， somehow， are missing the point. The English weather conversation is not really about the weather at all. English weather-speak is a system of signs， which is developed to help the speakers overcome the natural reserve and actually talk to each other. Everyone knows conversations starting with weather-speak are not requests for weather data. Rather， they are routine greetings， conversation starters or the blank “fillers”. In other words， English weather-speak is a means of social bonding.
1. The author mentions Dr. Johnson’s comment to show that __________.
A. most commentators agree with Dr. Johnson
B. Dr. Johnson is famous for his weather observation
C. the comment was accurate two hundred years ago
D. English conversations usually start with the weather
2. What does the underlined word “obsession” most probably refer to？
A. A social trend.
B. An emotional state.
C. A historical concept.
D. An unknown phenomenon.
3. What is the author’s main purpose of writing the passage？
A. To explain what English weather-speak is about. D. To introduce different types of environment-friendly sports.
（重慶卷）Getting rid of dirt， in the opinion of most people， is a good thing. However， there is nothing fixed about attitudes to dirt.
In the early 16th century， people thought that dirt on the skin was a means to block out disease， as medical opinion had it that washing off dirt with hot water could open up the skin and let ills in. A particular danger was thought to lie in public baths. By 1538， the French king had closed the bath houses in his kingdom. So did the king of England in 1546. Thus began a long time when the rich and the poor in Europe lived with dirt in a friendly way. Henry IV， King of France， was famously dirty. Upon learning that a nobleman had taken a bath， the king ordered that， to avoid the attack of disease， the nobleman should not go out.
Though the belief in the merit（优点）of dirt was long-lived， dirt has no longer been regarded as a nice neighbor ever since the 18th century. Scientifically speaking， cleaning away dirt is good to health. Clean water supply and hand washing are practical means of preventing disease. Yet， it seems that standards of cleanliness have moved beyond science since World War Ⅱ. Advertisements repeatedly sell the idea： clothes need to be whiter than white， cloths ever softer， surfaces to shine. Has the hate for dirt， however， gone too far？
Attitudes to dirt still differ hugely nowadays. Many first-time parents nervously try to warn their children off touching dirt， which might be responsible for the spread of disease. On the contrary， Mary Ruebush， an American immunologist（免疫学家）， encourages children to play in the dirt to build up a strong immune system. And the latter position is gaining some ground.
1. Which of the following best describes Henry IV’s attitude to bathing？
A. Afraid. B. Curious.
C. Approving. D. Uninterested.
2. How does the passage mainly develop？
A. By providing examples.
B. By making comparisons.
C. By following the order of time.
D. By following the order of importance.
3. What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage？
A. To stress the role of dirt.
B. To introduce the history of dirt.
C. To call attention to the danger of dirt.
D. To present the change of views on dirt.
（重庆卷）To take the apple as a forbidden fruit is the most unlikely story the Christians （基督教徒） have ever cooked up. For them， the forbidden fruit from Eden is evil （邪恶的）. So when Columbus brought the tomato back from South America， a land mistakenly considered to be Eden， everyone jumped to the obvious conclusion. Wrongly taken as the apple of Eden， the tomato was shut out of the door of Europeans. What made it particularly terrifying was its similarity to the mandrake， a plant that was thought to have come from Hell （地狱）. What earned the plant its awful reputation was its roots which looked like a dried-up human body occupied by evil spirits. Though the tomato and the mandrake were quite different except that both had bright red or yellow fruit， the general population considered them one and the same， too terrible to touch.
Cautious Europeans long ignored the tomato， and until the early 1700s most of the Western people continued to drag their feet. In the 1880s， the daughter of a well-known plant expert wrote that the most interesting part of an afternoon tea at her father’s house had been the “introduction of this wonderful new fruit——or is it a vegetable？” As late as the twentieth century some writers still classed tomatoes with mandrakes as an “evil fruit”.
But in the end tomatoes carried the day. The hero of the tomato was an American named Robert Johnson， and when he was publicly going to eat the tomato in 1820， people journeyed for hundreds of miles to watch him drop dead. “What are you afraid of？” he shouted. “I’ll show you fools that these things are good to eat！” Then he bit into the tomato. Some people fainted. But he survived and， according to a local story， set up a tomato-canning factory.
1. What can we infer the underlined part in Paragraph 3 ？
A. The process of ignoring the tomato slowed down.
B. There was little progress in the study of the tomato.
C. The tomato was still refused in most western countries.
D. Most western people continued to get rid of the tomato.
2. What is the main reason for Robert Johnson to eat the tomato publicly ？
A. To make himself a hero.
B. To remove people’s fear of the tomato.
C. To speed up the popularity of the tomato.
D. To persuade people to buy products from his factory.
3. What is the main purpose of the passage？
A. To challenge people’s fixed concepts of the tomato.
B. To give an explanation to people’s dislike of the tomato.
C. To present the change of people’s attitudes to the tomato.
D. To show the process of freeing the tomato from religious influence.
答案與点拨
（一）本文是广告类阅读，主要介绍了纽约几处景点的相关信息，包括中央公园、帝国大厦、无畏号海空博物馆和麦迪逊广场花园。
1. A 细节理解题。由the New York Skyride可定位到第二则广告，再根据第二句The observation deck （瞭望台） on the 86th floor is open to general public， offering a wonderful view of the city. 可知，Skyride是用于观光的，故选A。