Reading Comprehension Directions:There are 4 passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or incomplete statements. For each of them there are 4 choices marked A, B, C and D. You should decide on the best choice.
Passage 1 Everyone is exposed to it, so naturally some people will imitate what they see on TV, what they read in the newspapers and what they witness every day. It is better to prevent violence than to try to stop it. Dentists tell you to brush your teeth to prevent cavities so they won't have to fill the cavity later. People and lawmakers all over the world realize this. The next question is, "How do you prevent violence from happening?" To answer this question, you may ask yourself, "What causes violence?" Guns are definitely something used in acts of violence, but just about anything will do. Bare hands are often the weapons. What we have to do is to work together as a community and make violence wrong but not to tolerate. We've got to find a better solution than jails, and we've got to do it now. It's not something that can wait. The message "Violence is wrong" has got to be everywhere you look on TV, on street signs, buses, radio, in every kind of language—English, Spanish, French, Hebrew, you name it, so that it can reach all kinds of people. People need to be cool. Violence needs to be labeled as foolish. It cannot be machismo (大男子气概) and toughness. We can reach people in all kinds of ways. Little reminders that "Violence is wrong" can show up in any way, shape or form: chain letters, a million dollars to anyone who can make a video showing 30 acts of kindness, flyers, newspaper ads, contests in schools, a free TV ad to the most peace-loving company and much more. To do so, lots of people have to be willing to work together and break the cycle.
1. The pronoun "it" in the first paragraph refers specifically to ______.
A.They realize the importance of brushing teeth every day.
B.They realize how important it is to prevent cavities.
C.They realize that it is more important to prevent violence from happening.
D.They realize that trying to stop crime is as important as the prevention of crime.
A B C D
C
[解析] 推理判断题。本题问的是世界上的法律制定者意识到什么。作者在第一段说预防暴力要比试图阻止暴力好,然后用刷牙预防龋齿打比方说明这一点。指示代词this通常前指,所以立法者认识到的这一点即前面第二句话“It is better to prevent violence than to try to stop it.”所以答案为C。
3. According to the passage, what is the total solution to violence?
A.it is urgent to spread the word that violence is wrong
B.willingness to cooperate is the key to the prevention of street crimes
C.the author seems to preach non-violence against crimes
D.it is difficult to identify the causes of violence
A B C D
A
[解析] 推理判断题。提问的是我们从文中可获知什么。文章第二段中“It's not something that can wait.”说明让人们认识到“暴力是错误的”这一观念的紧迫性。所以选项A为正确答案。
Passage 2 Life really should be one long journey of joy for children who are born with a world of wealth at their tiny feet. But experts on psychological research now believe that silver spoons can leave a bitter taste. If suicide statistics are a sign of happiness, then the rich are a miserable lot. Figures show that it is the rich who most often do away with themselves. Dr. Robert Coles, an internationally famous doctor, is the world's top expert on the influence of money on children. He has written a well-received book on the subject, The Privileged Ones, and his research shows that too much money in the family can cause as many problems as too little. "Obviously there are certain advantages to being rich," says the 53-year-old doctor, "such as better health, education and future work expectation, but most important is the quality of family life. Money can't buy love." It can buy a lot of other things, though, and that's where the trouble starts. Rich kids have so much to choose from that they often become confused. Their parents' over favoring can make them spoiled. They tend to travel more than other children, from home to home and country to country, which often makes them feel restless. "But privileged children do have a better sense of their positions in the world," adds Mr. Coles, "and they are more self-assured." Today's rich parents perhaps have realized that their riches can be more of a burden than a favor to their children. So their priority is to ensure that their families are as rich in love as they are in money.
1. According to the passage, children of rich families ______.
A.enjoy traveling
B.can buy love
C.usually commit suicide
D.are not always happy
A B C D
D
[解析] 推理判断题。题干的大意是:根据文章,富有家庭的孩子______。从第一段中“Figures show that it is the rich who most often do away with themselves.”和第二段中“...too much money in the family can cause as many problems as too little.”可推断出,富人家的孩子并不总是快乐的。所以D选项正确。
2. Dr. Robert Coles believes that ______.
A.being rich has as many advantages as being poor
B.rich children often get too little entertainment
C.rich children sometimes can't enjoy the thing they are most in need of
4. The expression "silver spoons" in Paragraph 1 means ______.
A.very expensive spoons
B.rich people
C.wealth
D.spoons made of silver
A B C D
C
[解析] 词语理解题。题干的大意是:第一段中“silver spoons”是什么意思? 文章第一句“Life really should be one long journey of joy for children who are born with a world of wealth...”中a world of wealth应该与silver spoons是同一个意思。所以答案为C。
5. This article is written mainly to tell readers that ______.
A.the rich are more likely to do away with themselves
B.money can bring a lot of things, including love
C.life is always happy for children of rich parents
D.rich parents should realize what is important in the family is love rather than money
Passage 3 It's common knowledge that today's workplace is more volatile (易变的) than it once was. One has to know how to make the necessary changes to compete in this new, high-tech world. The Career Coach offers experienced advice and strategies that people are increasingly turning to professional career advisers to get. Written by Gordon Miller, the book is aimed at job seekers, people reentering the workforce and those farther along their career paths. It gives advice on how to search for a job or change jobs (or industries) successfully in today's job market. You'll learn how to conduct a good interview, and how to free yourself from the constraints of the traditional resume. It also has advice on how to become a good performer at the job you currently have, and the right way and time to ask for a raise or a promotion. There are strategies for improving job performance within a company and how to shape your career to secure a future in an ever-changing economy. The book is filled with countless stories about people who, with a little coaching, were able to steer their careers in a new direction: a mediocre salesman turns into an excellent performer by learning to use his time more wisely; a recent college graduate wins a key position in a high-tech company etc.
1. The book Career Coach is intended for ______.
A.people who are quitting a job
B.people who seek expert career advice
C.people who face a raise or promotion
D.people who are successful in their careers
A B C D
B
[解析] 事实细节题。根据第二段“The Career Coach offers experienced advice and strategies that people are increasingly turning to professional career advisers to get.”,可知《职业规划师》这本书是为那些寻求专业职业建议的人服务的。故选B。
2. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A.People usually turn to career advisers for career advice.
B.The author of the book is a successful businessman.
C.The book is only suitable for people who are hunting a job.
D.The book offers many examples of successful executives.
A.how to deal with the daily problems in your career
B.how to successfully change career or search for a job
C.how to be able to get useful career information
D.how to withdraw from this ever changing high-tech world
A B C D
B
[解析] 事实细节题。根据第四段第一句“It gives advice on how to search for a job or change jobs (or industries) successfully in today's job market.”可知这本书为人们找工作和如何成功地更换工作提出了建议。B项与此意相符,故选B。
4. The word "mediocre" in the last paragraph probably means ______.
A.successful
B.ordinary
C.outstanding
D.famous
A B C D
B
[解析] 词意猜测题。根据最后一段中“a mediocre salesman turns into an excellent performer by learning to use his time more wisely”;即“通过合理利用时间,一个______样的销售员变成了一个优秀的表演家。”可推知mediocre与excellent(优秀的)应为一组反义词。故mediocre意为“普通的,平凡的”,与ordinary词义接近,故选B。
5. The last paragraph indicates that ______.
A.career coach is essential to job seekers
B.a college student can become a star performer
C.a salesman can be successful through hard work
D.career advisers can help people achieve their goals
Passage 4 Though it is mere 1 to 3 percent of the population, the upper class possesses at least 25 percent of the nation's wealth. This class has two segments: upper-upper and lower-upper. Basically, the upper-upper class is the "old rich"—families that have been wealthy for several generations—an aristocracy of birth and wealth. Their names are in the Social Register, a listing of acceptable members of high society. A few are known across the nation, such as the Rockefellers, Roosevelts, and Vanderbilts. Most are not visible to the general public. They live in grand seclusion, drawing their income from the investment of their inherited wealth. In contrast, the lower-upper class is the "new rich". Although they may be wealthier than some of the old rich, the new rich have hustled (竭力地获得) to make their money like everybody else beneath their class. Thus their prestige is generally lower than that of the old rich, who have not found it necessary to lift a finger to make their money, and who tend to look down upon the new rich. However its wealth is acquired, the upper class is very, very rich. They have enough money and leisure time to cultivate an interest in the arts and to collect rare books, painting, and sculpture. They generally live in exclusive areas, belong to exclusive social clubs, communicate with each other, and marry their own kind—all of which keeps them so distant from the masses that they have been called the out-of-sight class. More than any other class, they tend to be conscious of being members of a class. They also command an enormous amount of power and influence here and abroad, as they hold many top government positions, run the Council on Foreign Relations, and control multinational corporations. The actions affect the lives of millions.
1. All the following statements are true EXCEPT that ______.
A.the upper-upper class is of aristocratic origin
B.the "old rich" enjoy higher prestige than the "new rich"
C.the "old rich" isolate themselves and lead a lonely life
D.the upper class owns at least a quarter of the country's wealth