高考英语阅读理解专题训练极品题(21)

高考英语阅读理解专题训练极品题（21）C7[2013·重庆卷] ----E

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.

72．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

73．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.

74．According to the passage，Jeremy Paxman believes that ________．

A．Bill Bryson has little knowledge of the weather

B．there is nothing special about the English weather

C．the English weather attracts people to the British Isles

D．English people talk about the weather for its uncertainty

75．What is the author's main purpose of writing the passage?

A．To explain what English weather－speak is about.

B．To analyse misconceptions about the English weather.

C．To find fault with both Bill Bryson and Jeremy Paxman.

D．To convince people that the English weather is changeable.

【要点综述】本文通过对Bill Bryson和Jeremy Paxman两人迥然不同的观点的陈述来阐明作者对英国人以天气为寒暄内容的见解。

72．D 逻辑推断题。通过引用名人名言来说明英国人以天气为寒暄内容的现象很普遍。

73．B 词义推断题。Bill Bryson认为英国天气单一(there is not very much of it)不足以引起人们的情感响应，因此该词此处指的是“情感状态”。

74．D 细节理解题。倒数第二段中有“The interest is less in the phenomena t hemselves, but in uncertainty.”(意思是：人们对英国气候的关注点不是气候本身，而是气候的不确定性。)由此可知答案。

75．A 写作目的题。通过对Bill Bryson和Jeremy Paxman两人迥然不同的观点的陈述来阐明作者对英国人以天气为寒暄内容的见解。

社会生活类----60

An increase in students applying to study economics at university is being attributed to (归因于) the global economic crisis awakening a public thirst for knowledge about

how the financial system works.

Applications for degree courses beginning this autumn were up by 15% this January, according to UCAS, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. A spokesman for the Royal Economic Society said applications to do economics at A-level were also up.

Professor John Beath, the president of the society and a leading lecturer at St AndrewsUniversity, said his first-year lectures—which are open to students from all departments—were drawing crowds of 400, rather than the usual 250.

“There are a large number of students who are not economics majors, who would like to learn something about it. One of the things I have done this year is to relate my teaching t o contemporary events in a way that one hasn’t traditionally done,” he added.

University applications rose 7% last year, but there were rises above average in several subjects. Nursing saw a 15% jump, with people’s renewed interest in careers in the public sector (部门), which are seen as more secure in economic crisis.

A recent study showed almost two thirds of parents believed schools should do more to teach pupils about financial matters, and almost half said their children had asked them what was going on, although a minority of parents felt they did not understand it themselves well enough to explain.

Zack Hocking, the head of Child Trust Funds, said:“It’s possible that one good thing to arise from the downturn will be a generation that’s financially w iser and better equipped to manage their money through times of economic uncertainty.”

1. Professor John Beath’s lectures are.

A. given in a traditional way

B. connected with the present situation

C. open to both students and their parents

D. warmly received by economists

2. Careers in the public sector are more attractive because of their.

A. greater stability

B. higher pay

C. fewer applications

D. better reputation

3. In the opinion of most parents, .

A. economics should be the focus of school teaching

B. more students should be admitted to universities

C. the teaching of financial matters should be strengthened

D. children should solve financial problems themselves

4. According to Hocking, the global economic crisis might make the youngsters.

A. wiser in money management

B. have access to better equipment

C. confident about their future careers

D. get jobs in Child Trust Funds

5. What’s the main idea of the text?

A. Universities have received more applications.

B. Economics is attracting an increasing number of students.

C. College students benefit a lot from economic uncertainty.

D. Parents are concerned with children’s subject selection.

【参考答案】60.1-5 BACAB

社会生活类-----22

Directions: Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions or complete the statements in the fewest possible words.

Most people look forward to retirement as a time when they can finally take up activities that they never had the time or energy to pursue before. But some recent studies on people in their golden years are disturbing—they suggest that retirees are more likely to suffer from depression and possibly higher rates of other diseases such as heart disease and high blood pressure. That’s why a new study of French workers is welcome news.

Led by Hugo Westerlund, a professor of psychology at Stockholm University, the study of more than 14,000 workers found lower rates of depression and fatigue (疲劳) in people after they got tired while they were still employed.

The scientists followed the employees of the French national gas and electric company for 14 years. They found in the year immediately after retirement, the volunteers reported 40% fewer depressive symptoms than they had in the year before their retirement. The researchers also found an 81% drop in reports of both mental and physical fatigue over the same time period.

Clearly, said Westerlund, much of these decrease in physical and mental fatigue can be traced back to relief from the stresses of work. The decline in depressive symptoms suggests that retirement may be having a positive mental effect, too, which may have a lot to do with the generous pensions (养老金) that French workers enjoy. Most retirees in that country still benefit from about 80% of their yearly salaries.

“The economic or financial situation in retirement is very important,”Westerlund says. “We don’t know if the decrease in fatigue and depressive symptoms is because of the removal of something bad while in work or the addition of something good while in retirement. But no matter the reason, if life in retirement is not comfortable, then we won’t see the improvements we did.”

However, in European nations like France, governments are considering changes to pension plans, which may affect retirees’ health after they leave their jobs—with less of a financial safety net, workers may no longer seem so mentally and physically happy to be out of work.

(Note: Answer the questions or complete the statements in NO MORE THAN EIGHT WORDS. )

1. According to some recent studies, retired people may have depression and higher rates of other diseases like .

2. Westerlund’s group found that in the year just after the retirement most retired French workers felt much less tired both .

3. The word “improvements”in paragraph 5 refer to .

4. Retirement may make people happier with .

【参考答案】22、【参考答案】

1. heart disease and high blood pressure

2. mentally and physically

3. the decrease of fatigue and depressive symptoms

4. more of a financial safety net

C7[2013·安徽卷] -----A

The Healthy Habits Survey(调查)shows that only about one third of American seniors have correct habits. Here are some findings and expert advice.

56.What is found out about American seniors?

A．Most of them have good habits.

B．Nearly 30% of them bathe three days a week.

C．All of them are fighting germs better than expected.

D．About one third of them brush their teeth only once a day.

57．Doctors suggest that people should wash their hands ________．

A．twice a day B．three times a day

C．four times a day D．eight times a day

58．Which of the following is true according to the text?

A．We should keep from touching our faces.

B．There are less than 300 types of bacteria in the mouth.

C．A kitchen sponge can carry more germs than a toilet.

D．We should wash our hands before touching a door handle.

59．The text probably comes from ________．

A．a guide book B．a popular magazine

C．a book review D．an official document

【要点综述】这是一份调查报告，是针对美国老年人的健康习惯所做的调查。

56．D 细节理解题。根据第一项调查中“A full 33% of seniors brush their teeth only once a day.”可知，大约有三分之一的美国老年人一天只刷一次牙。

57．D 细节理解题。根据第二项调查中“…4 times a day—half of the number doctors recommend”可知，四次是医生建议次数的一半，也就是说，医生建议老年人每天洗八次手，故选D。

58．C 细节理解题。根据文章倒数第二句“Do you know it is not your toilet but your kitchen sponge that can carry more germs than anything else？”可知，厨房里的海绵比卫生间带有的细菌还要多。

59．B 推理判断题。由文章内容可知，这是一份调查报告，是针对美国老年人的健康习惯所做的调查。这样的文章理应不会出现在“旅游指南”“书评”“官方文件”里，故排除A、C、D。流行杂志做这样的调查报告很常见，故选B。