阅读下面短文,掌握其大意,然后从各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C、D)中,选出最佳选项。

  Before the 1950s,running the mile in under four minutes was considered impossible.Gradually though,times for the mile run did   1  .By the early 1950s,it looked as though a four minute mile was indeed   2  

  A British   3  ,Roger Bannister,decided to try to break the four minute barrier.The decision to work for this   4   meant hours of painful,boring preparation ahead of him,but to Bannister,the goal was well worth the   5  .In December,1953,his   6   began.It included a series of ten quarter-mile sprints(全速跑),to be done in sixty seconds each.He   7   himself a two-minute rest after each quartermile.By early February of 1954,he had gotten his time down to   8   seconds;this meant a 4∶04 mile.Here Roger reached a plateau(停滞).He couldn't   9   to get his time for the quarter-mile down to 60 seconds.  10  ,he and a friend took time away from training to go mountain climbing in Scotland for three days.This   11   was conside quite reckless(轻率的),since a sprained ankle(扭伤踝骨)could   12   him weeks of valuable training.However,the mountain climbing   13   gave him the mental advantage he needed.When he   14   training,he ran the ten guarter-miles again;his time was down to 59 seconds for each quarter mile sprint.

  When   15   day arrived,strong winds were blowing and running conditions were poor.What a   16   decision!Should he run,going for he   17  ?Or,should he wait for the next race,days later,hoping for the   18   to improve?If he did wait,he risked losing his peak physical and mental   19   Bannister decided to go ahead.It was the   20   decision.At race time,the wind died somewhat,and Bannister ran effortlessly,the fastest mile in human history in— under four minutes.

(1)

[  ]

A.

come

B.

begin

C.

succeed

D.

improve

(2)

[  ]

A.

impossible

B.

possible

C.

difficult

D.

easy

(3)

[  ]

A.

girl

B.

player

C.

runner

D.

official

(4)

[  ]

A.

goal

B.

team

C.

game

D.

match

(5)

[  ]

A.

time

B.

money

C.

attention

D.

effort

(6)

[  ]

A.

running

B.

success

C.

training

D.

worry

(7)

[  ]

A.

allowed

B.

got

C.

brought

D.

enjoyed

(8)

[  ]

A.

sixty

B.

sixty-one

C.

fifty-nine

D.

sixty-two

(9)

[  ]

A.

go

B.

try

C.

have

D.

seem

(10)

[  ]

A.

Finally

B.

Carefully

C.

Suddenly

D.

Secretly

(11)

[  ]

A.

business

B.

friend

C.

decision

D.

runner

(12)

[  ]

A.

spare

B.

cost

C.

save

D.

allow

(13)

[  ]

A.

break

B.

race

C.

accident

D.

training

(14)

[  ]

A.

stopped

B.

finished

C.

liked

D.

restarted

(15)

[  ]

A.

bad

B.

windy

C.

race

D.

lucky

(16)

[  ]

A.

stupid

B.

hard

C.

terrible

D.

pleasant

(17)

[  ]

A.

record

B.

medal

C.

money

D.

praise

(18)

[  ]

A.

speed

B.

runway

C.

weather

D.

race

(19)

[  ]

A.

condition

B.

situation

C.

health

D.

appearance

(20)

[  ]

A.

wrong

B.

easy

C.

happy

D.

right

I travel a lot, and I find out different “styles” of directions every time I ask “How can I get to the post office?”

Foreign tourists are often confused in Japan because most streets there don’t have names. In Japan, people use landmarks(地标) in their directions instead of street names. For example, the Japanese will say to travelers, “Go straight down to the corner. Turn left at the big hotel and go past a fruit market. The post office is across from the bus stop.”

In the countryside of the American Midwest, there are not usually many landmarks. There are no mountains, so the land is very flat; in many places there are no towns or buildings within miles. Instead of landmarks, people will tell you directions and distances. In Kansas or Iowa, for example, people will say, “Go north two miles. Turn east, and then go another mile.”

People in Los Angeles, California, have no idea of distance on the map. They measure distance in time, not miles. “How far away is the post office?” you ask. “Oh,” they answer, “it’s about five minutes from here.” You say, “Yes, but how many miles away is it?” They don’t know.

It’s true that a person doesn’t know the answer to your question sometimes. What happens in such a situation? A New Yorker might say, “Sorry, I have no idea.” But in Yucatan, Mexico, no one answers “I don’t know.” People in Yucatan believe that “I don’t know” is impolite. They usually give an answer, often a wrong one. A tourist can easily get lost in Yucatan! (268 words)

When a tourist asks the Japanese the way to a certain place, they usually ______.

   A. describe the place carefully B. show him a map of the place

   C. tell him the names of the streets  D. refer to recognizable buildings and places

What is the place where people measure distance in time?

   A. New York.   B. Los Angeles.      C. Kansas.             D. Iowa.

People in Yucatan may give a tourist a wrong answer ______.

   A. in order to save time   B. to show the right way

   C. so as to be polite         D. for fun

What can we infer from the text?

   A. It’s important for travelers to understand cultural differences.

   B. It’s useful for travelers to know how to ask the way properly.

   C. People have similar understandings of politeness.

   D. New Yorkers are generally friendly to visitors.

Animals can move from place to place, but plants cannot. When an animal is under attack, it can run away or fight back.. Plants certainly cannot run away, and they lack teeth and claws. But plants can defend themselves by using both physical and chemical means.

      Some plants have their own ways to keep animals away. For example, the leaves of the holly plant have sharp spines (刺) that discourage grass-eating animals. Holly leaves on lower branches have more spines than leaves on upper branches. This is because the lower leaves are easier for most animals to reach.

      Some plants, such as the oak tree, have thick and hard leaves that are difficult for animals to eat. Some grasses may contain a sandy material; eating such grasses wears down the animal's teeth.

      Many plants also have chemical defenses. Some plants produce chemicals that taste bitter or cause an unpleasant reaction. Some plants may fight against an attack by increasing the production of these chemicals. When a caterpillar (毛虫) bites a tobacco leaf, the leaf produces a chemical messenger. This messenger sends to the roots the information to produce more nicotine. The higher levels of nicotine discourage the caterpillar.

      Many plants depend on both physical and chemical defenses. A certain plant in China, for

instance, has prickly (多刺的) leaves, and each prickle contains poisonous venom (毒液) A single experience with this kind of plant will teach an animal to stay away from it in the future.

The holly plant has more spines on the lower leaves because most animals________.

A. are not tall enough                    B. like the lower leaves only

C. are not clever enough                 D. can get the lower leaves easily

To defend themselves, oak trees use________.

 A. chemical means                     B. physical means

C. bitter chemicals                    D. sandy materials

How does tobacco protect itself against an attack from a caterpillar?

A. Its leaves fight against the attack by physical means.

B. Its roots send a messenger to discourage the caterpillar.

C. Its roots increase the production of nicotine when it is attacked.

D. Its leaves produce poisonous sand to drive the caterpillar away.

What would be the best title for this passage?

A. Plants and Animals                   B. How Plants Defend Themselves

C. Attacks and Defenses                 D. How Animals Eat Plant Leaves

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