题目内容
In 1988, Mary Anderson was at the Miami airport checking in for a flight to Norway to be with her husband when she was told she wouldn’t be able to check her luggage without paying a $100 surcharge (超载) .
Mary had no money as her new husband had left for Norway and she had no one else to call .
“ I was completely desperate and tried to think which of my things I could manage without ,” says Mary .
As tears ran down her face , a voice behind her said , “That’s okay, I’ll pay for her .”
Rather surprised , Mary turned around to see a tall man whom she had never seen before . He had a gentle and kind voice that was firm and decisive .
Although this happened twenty years ago , Mary still remembers the authority that radiated (发出)from the man .
Mary was pleased to bring her luggage to Norway and told the stranger she would give his money back . The man wrote his name and address on a piece of paper and gave it to Mary . She thanked him repeatedly . When she finally walked off towards the boarding gate, he waved goodbye to her .
That man turned out to be Barack Obama .
Mary paid the money back to Obama the day she joined her husband . At that time he had just finished his job as a poorly paid community worker in Chicago , and had started his law studies at Harward University .
In the spring of 2006 , Mary’s parents heard Obama was considering a run for President . They wrote a letter saying that they would support him. At the same time , they thanked Obama for helping their daughter 18 years earlier .
And Obama replied , “ I want to thank you for the lovely things you wrote about me and for reminding me of what happened at Miami airport . I’m happy I could help her then , and I’m delighted to hear that your daughter is happy in Norway . Please send her my best wishes . Sincerely , Barack Obama,
United States Senator .”
Why did Mary feel completely desperate ?
A. She had missed the only flight to Norway .
B. Her new husband abandoned her suddenly .
C. She didn’t have the money to buy a ticket .
D. She had no money to pay for the surcharge .
How did Mary feel when someone offered to help her ?
A. Amazed B. Puzzled C. Delighted D. Annoyed
Mary asked the stranger to leave his name and address _________ .
A. in order to contact him later B. so that she could repay him
C. because he impressed her deeply D. because she fell in love with him
What’s the passage mainly about ?
A. A letter from Barack Obama B. Mary’s parents support Obama
C. Obama helped a stranger 20 years ago D. Mary was lucky to get help at the airport
【小题1】D
【小题2】A
【小题3】B
【小题4】C
解析:
略
| After the violent earthquake that shook Los Angeles in 1994, earthquake scientists had good news to report. The damage and death toll (伤亡) could have been much worse. More than 60 people died in this earthquake. By comparison, an earthquake of similar intensity that shook America in 1988 claimed 25,000 victims. Injures and deaths were relatively less in Los Angles because the quake occurred at 4:31 a.m. on a holiday, when traffic was light on the city’s highways. In addition, changes made to the construction codes in Los Angeles during the last 20 years have strengthened the city’s buildings and highways, making them more resistant (有抵抗力的) to quakes. Despite the good news, civil engineers aren’t resting on their successes. Pinned to their drawing boards are blueprints (蓝图的) for improved quake-resistant buildings. The new designs should offer even greater security to cities where earthquakes often take place. In the past, making structures quake-resistant meant firm yet flexible (柔韧的) materials, such as steel and wood, which bend without breaking. Later, people tried to lift a building off its foundation, and insert rubber and steel between the building and its foundation to reduce the impact (影响) of ground vibrations (颤动). The most recent designs give buildings brains as well as concrete and steel supports, called smart buildings, the structures respond like living organisms to an earthquake’s vibrations. When the ground shakes and the buildings tip forward, the computer would force the building to shift in the opposite direction. The new smart structures could be very expensive to build. However, they would save many lives and would be less likely to be damaged during earthquakes. 1. One reason why the loss of lives in the Los Angeles earthquake was comparatively low is that ____. A. new computers had been installed in the buildings B. occurred in the residential areas (居民区) rather than on the highways C. large numbers of Los Angeles residents had rushed into Los Angeles for holiday D. improvements had been made in the construction of buildings and highways 2. The function of the computer mentioned in the passage is to ____. A. counterbalance an earthquake’s action on the building B. predict the coming of an earthquake with accuracy C. help strengthen the foundation of the building D. measure the impact of an earthquake’s vibrations 3. The smart buildings discussed in the passage ____. A. would cause serious financial problems B. would be worthwhile though costly C. would increase the complexity of architectural design D. can reduce the ground vibrations caused by earthquakes 4. It can be inferred from the passage that in minimizing (最小化) the damage caused by earthquakes attention should be focused on ____. A. the increasing use of rubber and steel in capital construction B. the development of flexible building materials C. the reduction of the impact of ground vibrations D. early forecasts of earthquakes 5. The author’s main purpose in writing the passage is to ____. A. compare the results of the earthquakes that occurred in the US B. encourage civil engineers to make more extensive use of computers C. outline the history of the development of quake-resistant building materials D. report new developments in constructing quake-resistant building
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