阅读理解

阅读下列短文，从每小题所给的四个选项中，选出最佳选项。

　　He is fit, single and a millionaire. Yet few in the world have known the tragedy (悲剧) that has left an indelible (擦不掉的) mark on Steven Flannigan's young life.

　　Ten years ago, Steven was at a neighbor's house just three doors away from his home when PamAm Flight 103 fell out of the sky and destroyed his home and his family in Scottish border town of Lockerbie. The fourteen-year-old boy could only watch helplessly as his home disappeared in the fire with his father, mother and sister still inside. There were two hundred and seventy victims (受难者) including eleven people from Lockerbie, among whom were Steven's parents and ten-year-old sister.

　　Steven was awarded 2.1 million pounds for his pain and suffering, but instead of being a help, the money has been more of a curse (诅咒) as he has tried to make sense of his life. “He is trying to sort himself out (解决自己的问题)”, a friend said, “but everything has gone wrong with his life since he was fourteen. He's a millionaire, but he hates the money.

　　It was money that killed Steven's elder brother David who was awarded one-million-pound compensation (赔偿金) for his pain and suffering. With so much money the young man splashed out (挥霍) on fast cars and drugs and a life style to match. He eventually died in a drink and drugs bing (欢闹) in a seedy hotel in Thailand, leaving his ill-fated money to Steven.

1．In the first paragraph, we have some idea that Steven Flannigan is ________.

[　　]

A．a healthy young man who has made a large fortune

B．an unmarried young man who is well off (处于佳境) and in good health

C．a young man who is unmarried and healthy

D．a rich young man who is suitable for marriage

2．Which of the following is NOT TRUE?

[　　]

A．Steven got 2.1 million pounds in compensation for all that he suffered from.

B．David liked to drive cars very fast.

C．David survived the plane crash because he was in Thailand.

D．David left Steven much money after his death.

3．On the whole, the passage tells about ________.

[　　]

A．money is the root of all evil

B．the more money Steven has, the more suffering he will bear

C．money means everything to Steven

D．money has brought Steven no happiness

He has lived through various dangers but time may be running out for the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat.
On September 11, Israel announced its decision to remove him, following several Palestinian suicide bomb attacks on Israel. “He should be punished for the killings,” an Israeli official said, “He has done nothing to stop the terrorist groups.”
But the decision has angered many other countries. China said that Arafat is the true leader, elected by the Palestinian people, and removing him would harm the peace in the Middle East. Other governments share this idea.
Arafat himself said: “They can kill me, but never get me out of my country.” He has spent most of his life in danger as the most important aim of Israel. But, just like a cat with nine lives, Arafat escaped every time.
For years he has made a practice of sleeping in a different bed each night, thinking a moving person is harder to hit. In 1985, Israel sent fighter planes to kill Arafat. The wild bombing destroyed his office in Tunis but Arafat himself was unhurt. In 1992, the aircraft in which he was flying over North Africa broke in two during a crash landing. The pilot was killed but he managed to remain alive.
What is so unbelievable is that he always remains calm in great danger. Israeli tanks and planes attacked his office building in Ram Allah in December 2001. When they saw the attackers coming, Arafat’s bodyguards took no notice of his orders to stay still and carried him to safety underground. Seconds later, several bombs were dropped nearby. Though safe, his bodyguards were so frightened that they were wet in sweat.
But, Arafat, with Israeli tanks only 200 meters away, showed no fear at all. He stayed in the damaged office, talking by phone with foreign leaders in hope of preventing further attacks from Israel.
All these experiences have made him a beloved leader to his people and an enemy to some others.
But has he used up the last of his nine lives? Only time will tell.
【小题1】.   According to the passage, which statement is true?

A．Arafat is as clever as a cat.

B．Arafat can live as long as a cat.

C．Arafat can stay alive after accidents or disasters as if he has nine lives.

D．Arafat should have died for at least 8 times.

He has lived through various dangers but time may be running out for the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat.

On September 11, Israel announced its decision to remove him, following several Palestinian suicide bomb attacks on Israel. “He should be punished for the killings,” an Israeli official said, “He has done nothing to stop the terrorist groups.”

But the decision has angered many other countries. China said that Arafat is the true leader, elected by the Palestinian people, and removing him would harm the peace in the Middle East. Other governments share this idea.

Arafat himself said: “They can kill me, but never get me out of my country.” He has spent most of his life in danger as the most important aim of Israel. But, just like a cat with nine lives, Arafat escaped every time.

For years he has made a practice of sleeping in a different bed each night, thinking a moving person is harder to hit. In 1985, Israel sent fighter planes to kill Arafat. The wild bombing destroyed his office in Tunis but Arafat himself was unhurt. In 1992, the aircraft in which he was flying over North Africa broke in two during a crash landing. The pilot was killed but he managed to remain alive.

What is so unbelievable is that he always remains calm in great danger. Israeli tanks and planes attacked his office building in Ram Allah in December 2001. When they saw the attackers coming, Arafat’s bodyguards took no notice of his orders to stay still and carried him to safety underground. Seconds later, several bombs were dropped nearby. Though safe, his bodyguards were so frightened that they were wet in sweat.

But, Arafat, with Israeli tanks only 200 meters away, showed no fear at all. He stayed in the damaged office, talking by phone with foreign leaders in hope of preventing further attacks from Israel.

All these experiences have made him a beloved leader to his people and an enemy to some others.

But has he used up the last of his nine lives? Only time will tell.

1..    According to the passage, which statement is true?

    A. In 1992, Arafat’s plane crashed in South Africa.

    B. Israeli officers thought Arafat himself sent the terrorist groups to Israel.

    C. China is the only country against Israel’s decision of removing Arafat.

D. Being Palestinian leader, Arafat would rather die in his own country than be driven away

from his people.

2..   . What did the author mean by saying “just like a cat has nine lives” when he talked about Arafat?

    A. Arafat is as clever as a cat.

    B. Arafat can live as long as a cat.

    C. Arafat can stay alive after accidents or disasters as if he has nine lives.

    D. Arafat should have died for at least 8 times.

3..    The underlined phrase “took no notice of” can be replaced by __________.

    A. obeyed         B. ignored          C. disagreed      D. dissatisfied

4..   . What’s the writer’s attitude towards Arafat’s future, judging from the last sentence of the passage?

    A. Hopeful.       B. Interesting.     C. Satisfactory.  D. Doubtful.

   Anyone who works in an office knows the power of technology. When it works, life is wonderful. Information files across the world in seconds. It saves time and makes our jobs easier. But when technology goes wrong, everyone hates it.

   In March, Peter Golota received a gas bill for $0.00. He threw it away. In April, he received another bill for $0.00. He threw that one way, too. In May, the gas company sent him a letter which said he had to pay his gas bill. If he didn’t pay it, they were going to cut off his gas. He called and told them the bill was for $0.00. They said it was a computer error. But the bills continued. Finally, he sent a check for $0.00. This caused the bank’s computer to crash. After a lot of angry phone calls and the letters between the man, the gas company, and the bank, the case went to court. The gas company lost, and had to pay Peter Golota $8,000. It all happened because of a bill for $0.00.

   A man from Colorado appeared on the news when he shot his computer because it crashed all the time. The man, who owned a bar, put the “dead” laptop on the wall for everyone to see. The police said, “It’s the first time someone shot a computer because he was angry with it.” They arrested him.

   In December, Margaret Smart, of Energies Solutions, stood up in front of 2,000 people in Taxes. As she began to speak, her microphone stopped working. They found another one. After two minutes, that one also died. When she decided to show her notes on PowerPoint, the computer refused to start up. The title of her presentation was “Technology: The way Forward”.

Why did the bank’s computer crash?

   A. Because it kept sending gas bills for $0.00.

   B. Because Peter Golota sent a check for $0.00.

     Because the gas company sent a letter to the bank.

   D. Because the gas bill case went to court.

Who got angry with his computer and shot it?

   A. A bar owner.                                          B. A policeman.

  Peter Golota.                                      D. A bank manager.

Margaret Smart’s computer refuses to start up probably because ________.

   A. there was a power failure                  B. it worked too long

     it went wrong                                D. someone shot her computer