阅读理解 High inflation has knocked out the traditional ways of saving money for college-the 5.5 perce——青夏教育精英家教网—

阅读理解

　　High inflation (通货膨胀) has knocked out the traditional ways of saving money for college—the 5.5 percent savings accounts (银行账户) and 6.5 percent U. S. savings bonds. (债券) College costs have risen an average of 9.5 percent a year since 1970, according to the college scholarship service. It now costs 3,248 dollars a year to send a child to a four-year public university, counting tuition (学费), room, board, fees, books, transportation and personal expenses and 5,526 for a private college. By 1990, these figures could double.

　　When savings fall short, as they usually do, almost all families today should make a strong bid for college aid. Some of the better-endowed (捐赠) private colleges offer grants to families with incomes of $ 30,000 or more if they can show financial need. Among the upper-income families that might qualify for help are those with several children; with one child already in college or pre school; with usually large medical expenses or with alimony (赡养费) and child-support obligations (义务). A $ 30,000—income family where both parents work will get more consideration than a family where just one person produces that income.

　　Colleges vary (变化) enormously in the amount of aid they give to upper-middle-income families, and many applicants (申请) will be disappointed. But you should at least apply. Fill in the financial aid form available at the high-school guidance office, which covers your income, assets[(通常用复数)财产)] and expenses; a computer analysis of how much you should be able to contribute toward college will be sent to whichever colleges you specify.

　　If a parent is dead, retired or disabled, and was covered by Social Security, his or her unmarried child aged 18 through 21, who is a full-time student, is eligible (合格的) for monthly Social Security benefits. These are granted even if the student is being supported by the other parent.

1．After 1990, the amount of money that would be needed for private collage would be about ________.

[　　]

2．What is the meaning of the word “figure” in paragraph 1?

[　　]

A．Human form.

B．Person, esp. his character or influence.

C．Number.

D．Image in paintings.

3．What kind of upper-middle-income families can not get the financial aid from colleges?

[　　]

A．The family in which there has been one child in the college.

B．The single-parent family.

C．The family with two old people to support.

D．The family with a patient who need a lot of money to cure the disease.

4．Which of the following statement is true according to the passage?

[　　]

A．The applicants can. get the financial aid form from the colleges they specify.

B．Most of the applicants who have got the financial aid form can not get the aid from the college they specify.

C．The student with a retired parent can not get the aid if he is being supported by the other parent.

D．Some of the better-endowed private colleges only give the financial aid to the lower-income families.

5．What is the main idea of the passage?

[　　]

A．High inflation sweeps the United States.

B．The financial ways for college are various in the United States.

C．The families can ask for financial aids from colleges since the costs of college have risen.

D．The costs of college have doubled by 1990.

阅读理解

　　As a result of pollution, Lake Erie, on the border of the USA and Canada, is now without any living things.

　　Pollution in water is not simply a matter of “poisons” killing large numbers of fish overnight. Very often the effects of pollution arc not noticed for many months or years because the first organisms (生物体) to be effected are either plants or plankton (浮游生物). But these organisms are the food of fish and birds and other creatures. When this food disappear, the fish and birds die too. In this way a whole food chain can be wiped out, and it is not until dead fish and water birds are seen at the river's edge or on the sea shore that people realize what is happening.

　　Where do the substances (物质) which pollute the water come from? There are two main sources—sewage (污水) and industrial waste. As more detergent (洗涤剂) is used in the home, so more of it is finally put into our rivers, lakes and seas. Detergent harm water birds dissolving (分解) the natural substances which keep their feathers waterproof. Sewage itself, if it is not properly treated, makes the water dirty and prevents all forms of life in rivers and the sea from receiving the oxygen they need. Industrial waste is even more harmful since there are many highly poisonous things in it, such as copper and lead.

　　So, if we want to stop this pollution, the answer is simple: sewage and industrial waste must be made clean before flowing into the water. It may already be too late to save some rivers and lakes, but others can still be saved if the correct action is taken at once.

1．Pollution in water is noticed ________.

[　　]

A．when the first organisms are affected

B．when a good many fish and birds die

C．when poisons are poured into water

D．as soon as the balance of nature is destroyed

2．The living things die because there is no ________ in the lake or river.

[　　]

3．What is the meaning of the word “waterproof” in the third paragraph?

[　　]

A．full of water

B．not allowing water to go through

C．covered with water

D．cleaned by water

4．Which of the following is harmful according to the passage?

[　　]

A．Industrial waste.

B．Chemicals.

C．Water for cleaning.

D．All of the above.

5．The way to stop water pollution is

[　　]

A．to realize the serious situation clearly

B．to put oxygen into the river

C．to make the waste material harmless

D．to make special room in the sea for our rubbish

阅读理解

　　As a teenager in 1972, Bill Gates boasted that he would be a millionaire by the time he was 20. While he did not quite achieve that goal, only 15 years later, he was a millionaire. And by 1992, as head of the Microsoft company, he became the richest man in America with assets (资产) of approximately US $ 6.3 billion.

　　Born in Seattle, Washington on 28, October, 1956, Gates was named William Henry after his father and grandfather. From the beginning, he was an extremely energetic and intelligent child. He had read the entire world book encyclopaedia (百科全书) by the age of nine. His favourite subjects at school were science and maths and his favourite pastime was “thinking”.

　　Gates first started to play with computers at the age of 13, when one was installed at his school. At that time, computers were large, awkward (笨重的) machines. Operators were required to learn complex (复杂的) computer languages before the machines could be used. Even then a great deal of time and effort was needed to perform the simplest functions. Before long Gates was an expert at working the school's computer. After his graduation from secondary school, Gates was accepted by the three top universities in the USA—Princeton, Harvard and Yale. He chose Harvard and began classes there the next autumn, majoring maths. But he was still obsessed (占据心思) with computers and spent as much time in the computer laboratories as he did in the lecture halls.

　　By 1975, Gates and a partner, Paul Allen, had developed a software program called BASIC. This was not the first program ever created, but its inventors were the first to decide that people who wanted to use it should pay for it.

　　BASIC was a success because until it came along, there had been no efficient way of getting computers to carry out instructions. Although he had not completed his degree, Gates left university and went to work full time for the new company he had formed called Microsoft.

　　His next project (项目) was the software program that made him famous and very rich. It was called DOS, short for Disk Operating System, and it was purchased (购买) by IBM in 1980. Today it is the operating system used in more than 14 million personal computers around the world.

　　As chief executive office (首席执行官) of Microsoft, Gates is known as a bright man, but one who is not easily satisfied. He is quick to criticize (批评) his staff and hates to be questioned about decisions he has made. He was regarded as a loner and unfashionable boring computer nut until his marriage to Microsoft manager Melinda French on New Year's Day 1994. Yet to most people now, Gates, is a person who is, in spite of his great wealth, humble (谦恭) and ordinary. He spends his money carefully. He eats in fastfood restaurants and flies economy class. And when praised for Microsoft's great success, he has been heard to say. “All we do is put software in a box and if people see it in the stores and like it, they buy it.”

1．When he was a teenager, Bill Gates wanted to be a ________.

[　　]

2．When Gates went to Harvard, he ________.

[　　]

A．was interested only in maths

B．spent most of his time in computer laboratories

C．developed the first computer software program

D．divided his time between his maths studies and the computer laboratories

3．Before the development of BASIC, ________.

[　　]

A．no one was interested in computer software

B．software programs were not considered commercial projects

C．software programs were very expensive

D．no one wanted to pay for computer software

4．When the writer says “Bill was regarded as an unfashionable boring computer nut”, he means ________.

[　　]

A．Bill was so strong-minded that no one could change his mind

B．the only thing that could interests Bill on his life was computer

C．Bill was such a boring young man that nobody would like to talk to him

D．Bill couldn't work out the boring computer problems

5．Most people think Gates is ________.

[　　]

A．a crazy person

B．a person obsessed with making money

C．someone who spends money freely

D．a quite common, normal person

阅读理解

　　Multiple-meaning means many meanings for each word. Many of these multiple-meaning words are very commonly used in English and they are usually every short words often one syllable (音节). They have so many different meanings because these words have been in the English language longest and people have been adding and changing their meanings for several hundred years. If you are not careful with these words and don't make good use of context clues (线索) to guess their particular meanings, you will misunderstand what you are reading or hearing.

　　 Not only do these multiple-meaning words cause difficulty due to their many different meanings, but they also cause difficulty since they change their part of speech depending on the way they are used in any sentence. Here again, notice how important it is to pay close attention to the context in which any word is used. Now let's try to tell the different meanings of the word “post” in the following sentences.

①The fence post was rotting.

[　　]

②The post was full of soldiers.

[　　]

③Lorraine has a new post.

[　　]

④The horses were at the post.

[　　]

⑤Please post this first thing in the morning.

[　　]

1．Multiple-meaning words are ________ used in English and they are usually ________ words.

[　　]

2．Multiple-meaning words change their part of speech according to ________.

[　　]

A．their meaning

B．the way they are used in different sentences

C．the importance of themselves

D．your explanation

3．If you don't pay close attention to the context, you will easily ________ the multiple meaning words.

[　　]

A．understand

B．make some mistakes about

C．grasp the meaning of

D．know

4．In the five sentences attached to (附加在) the passage, the word “post” is a noun in ________.

[　　]

5．In the five sentences attached to the passage, the word “post” might mean

[　　]

A．①A②C③D④D⑤B

B．①B②A③A④C⑤B

C．①C②B③C④D⑤B

D．①A②A③D④C⑤C

阅读理解

　　There were two interesting news items in the paper a few years ago, one was about a man who received a bill from the telephone company for ￡ 999,999—for three months! The other was about a man who received ￡ 2,000 a month—for doing nothing.

　　The connection between the two news items is simple: computers—the best inventions of the twentieth century. The telephone bill came from a computer which made a terrifying mistake: that man's bill was only ￡ 23.36. The other item was not so amusing. A man walked into the unguarded computer room of a large packaged food company and expertly programmed the computer (给计算机编程序) to pay him ￡ 2,000 a month for raw meat which he “supplied” to the company. Of course he never sent the meat, but he certainly received the money. The computer wrote out a bill, and even “signed”it. It was only a random (随便的) check that uncovered the trick. It could be happening in thousands of other companies all over the world.

　　Computers are not the magic workers that some people say they are. They make mistakes; they are sometimes slower than human beings and they are easily fooled. The US used to conscript (征兵) people with the help of a computer. The army sent out a card, which had to be filled in and sent back. It was easy to avoid being called up simply by spreading candle-wax on the card. The computer couldn't read the card, and did nothing with it.

　　It's our everyday life that computers cause many problems. Let's get back to using people instead of computers, before a mistake that we can't put right.

1．In the first paragraph we know

[　　]

A．the paper is telling a lie

B．the first sentence is the topic sentence

C．the two news items made people surprised

D．if a man did nothing at all for the telephone company, he would still get ￡ 2,000 a month

2．The man was given ￡ 999,999 because ________.

[　　]

A．the computer made a big mistake

B．he worked very hard

C．he programmed the computer to pay him so much money for raw meat

D．his work was very difficult to do and the pay was certainly high

3．The main idea of the second paragraph is ________.

[　　]

A．the computers are magic workers

B．the computers can do anything as man

C．the computers can write out a bill and even sign it

D．the computers sometimes also make big mistakes

4．Computers ________.

[　　]

A．were used to conscript people.

B．are usually faster than human beings.

C．are not so miracle (神奇的) as people expect.

D．were not easily controlled and always fooled human beings.

5．The writer's main idea is ________.

[　　]

A．we'd better use people instead of computers in our everyday life.

B．we should not use computers because they always makemistakes.

C．computers are widely used in our everyday life.

D．if we want to work well, don't use the computers.

阅读理解

　　There are two types of people in the world. Although they have equal degrees of health and wealth and the other comforts of life, one becomes happy, the other becomes miserable (伤心的). This arises from the different ways in which they consider things, and events, and the resulting effects upon their minds.

　　The people who are to be happy fix their attention on the conveniences (方便) of things, the pleasant parts of conversation, the well-prepared dishes, the goodness of the wines, the fine weather. They enjoy all the cheerful (愉快的) things. Those who are to be unhappy think and speak only of contrary (相反的) things. Therefore, they are continually discontented (不满意的). By their remarks, they sour the pleasures of society, offend (冒犯) many people, and make themselves disagreeable everywhere. If this turn of mind was founded in nature, such unhappy persons would be the more to be pitied. The tendency (倾向) to criticize and be disgusted (使人厌恶) is perhaps taken up originally by imitation (模仿). It grows into a habit, unknown to its possessors (占有). The habit may be strong, but it may be cured when those who have it are convinced of its had effects on their interests and tastes. I hope this little warning may be of service to them, and help them change this habit.

　　Although in fact it is chiefly an act of the imagination, it has serious consequences in life, since it brings on deep sorrow and bad luck. Those people offend many others, nobody loves them, and no one treats them with more than the most common politeness and respect, and scarcely that. This frequently puts them in bad temper and draws them into arguments. If they aim at obtaining some advantage in rank or fortune, nobody wishes them success. Nor will anyone stir a step or speak a word to favor their hopes. If they bring on themselves public disapproval (不赞成), no one will defend (辩护) or excuse them, and many will join to criticize their misconduct (不当的行为). These people should change this bad habit and condescend (屈尊) to be pleased with what is pleasing, without worrying needlessly about themselves and others. If they do not, it will be good for others to avoid any contact (接触) with them. Otherwise, it can be disagreeable (令人愉快的) and some times very inconvenient (不方便的), especially when one becomes mixed up in their quarrels.

1．People who are unhappy ________.

[　　]

A．are usually in poor health

B．are usually influenced by the results of certain things

C．can discover the disadvantages of certain things

D．usually have a fault-finding habit

2．The phrase “sour (对……看不惯；说尖刻的话) the pleasures of society” (Sentence 5, Para. 2) means “________.”

[　　]

A．have a good taste to the pleasures of society

B．aren't content with the pleasures of society

C．feel happy with the pleasures of society

D．enjoy the pleasures of society

3．Which of the following statement is NOT true according to the passage?

[　　]

A．We should pity all such unhappy people.

B．Such unhappy people are critical about everything.

C．If such unhappy people recognize the bad effects of the habit in themselves they may get rid of it.

D．Such unhappy people also worry needlessly about them Selves.

4．The unhappy people often offend many others, which brings about the result that ________.

[　　]

A．they are disagreeable everywhere

B．they are not loved by the others

C．no one has great respect for them

D．All of the above

5．If such persons don't change their bad habit, the author's solution to the problem is that ________.

[　　]

A．people should avoid contacting with them

B．people should criticize their misconduct

C．people should help them recognize the bad effects of the habit

D．people should show no respect and politeness to them

阅读理解

　　A hobby can be almost anything a person likes to do in his spare time. Hobbyists raise pets, build model ships, weave baskets, watch birds, hunt animals, climb mountains, raise flowers, fish, ski, skate and swim. Hobbyists also paint pictures, attend concerts and play, and perform on musical in struments. They collect everything from books to butterflies and from shells to stamps.

　　People take up hobbies because these activities offer enjoyment, friendship, knowledge, and relaxation. Sometimes they even give financial (财政) profit (利润). Hobbies help people relax after periods of hard work, and provide a balance between work and play. Hobbies also offer interesting activities for persons who have retired. Anyone, rich or poor, old or young, sick or well, can follow a satisfying hobby, regardless of his age, position or income.

　　Hobbies can help a person's mental and physical health. Doctors have found that hobbies are valuable in helping patients recover from physical or mental illness. Hobbies give bedridden or wheel-chair patients something to do, and provide interests that keep them from thinking about themselves. Many hospitals treat patients by having them take up interesting hobbies or pastimes (娱乐)

　　In early times, most people were too busy making a living to have many hobbies. But some persons who had spare time did enjoy hobbies. The ancient Egyptians played games with halls made of wood, pottery (陶器). People today have more time than ever before for hobbies.

　　Machines have reduced the amount of time they must spend on their jobs. Hobbies provide variety for workers who do the same unchanging tasks all day long. More people are retiring than ever before, and at an earlier age. Those who have developed hobbies never need to worry about what to do with their newly-found spare time hours.

　　Sir. William Osier, a famous Canadian doctor expressed the value of hobbies by saying, “No man is really happy or safe without a hobby.”

1．Which of the following is true?

[　　]

A．Hobby is one's regular business in his office.

B．Hobby is not one's regular business in his spare time.

C．Hobby is a kind of business only for young people.

D．Hobby is a kind of business only for old people.

2．Who may spend more time enjoying their hobbies?

[　　]

A．Persons who have little money.

B．Persons who have much money.

C．Persons who have given up their work.

D．Persons who have left school.

3．The word “recover” in the third paragraph means ________.

[　　]

A．get back

B．become well

C．become calm

D．supply with a new cover

4．In early times, most people spend less time on their hobbies because ________.

[　　]

A．they were brave and hard-working

B．the living conditions were poor

C．they were engaged in making a living

D．B and C

5．What's the writer's opinion about hobbies?

[　　]

A．People all over the world have the same hobby.

B．Machines also have their hobbies.

C．Hobbies are popular among people in Egypt.

D．A hobby is something in one's spare time.

阅读理解

　　We are not crazy about the television at the Daily Apple.

　　We'd like to agree with the recent report comparing the difference between a TV and a computer: when you use one you turn your brain on, with the other you turn it off.

　　Your brain may not be the only thing the TV turns off.

　　It seems that men who watch a lot of TV are more sedentary (久坐不动), eat more food and are generally much fatter.

　　Similar results have been found for women.

　　Experts think that watching TV means that not only are you sedentary, but you have to watch food advertisements inducing (引诱) you to eat more.

　　The food that you are being introduced to eat may not be good enough for your health.

　　If you are a couch potato, here are some suggestions:

　　●Tape a piece of paper to the back of your remote control (摇控器) or TV Guide, and every time you watch a show, note how long you sit there and what you eat.

　　●Review the record after a week. This can be a shock.

　　●Don't have a TV in your bedroom; having a TV in the bedroom greatly increases viewing time and if you tend to eat while viewing, the results are obvious.

　　●Think of a healthy way instead of watching TV that you like. This can be as simple as walking the dog or walking to visit a neighborhood regularly.

　　After a few months you are likely to be surprised about how much more time you seem to have and how much better you feel.

1．The writer of this passage believes ________.

[　　]

A．using a computer does good to your brain

B．watching TV can keep your brain healthy

C．only after turning off a TV do you start to use your brain

D．the more you watch, the more you use your brain

2．The underlined phrase “a couch potato” best describes aperson who is ________.

[　　]

A．too fat because of eating too many potatoes

B．too short because of lying on the couch all the time

C．small and round because of sitting for a long time

D．lazy and spends too much time watching TV on a sofa

3．From the last paragraph we can learned that ________.

[　　]

A．you will prefer a computer to a TV set

B．the writer wants to persuade you to give up your TV set

C．the writer's suggestion will surely work

D．you will probably surprised at what the writer says

4．The best title for this passage should be ________.

[　　]

A．A Couch Potato

B．Compare a TV with a Computer

C．Suggestions for Your Health

D．Less Time on Television

阅读理解

　　Have you ever been in a meeting while someone was making a speech and realized suddenly that your mind was a million miles away? You probably felt sorry and made up your mind to pay attention and never have day dreaming again. Most of us, from early school days, have been told that day dreaming is a waste of time.

　　“On the contrary,” says L. Giambra, an expert in psychology (心理学), “Daydreaming is quite necessary. Without it, the mind couldn't get done well all the thinking it has to do during a normal day. You can't do possibly all your thinking with a conscious (有意识的) mind. Instead, your unconscious mind is working out the problems all the time. Daydreaming then may be one way that unconscious and consciousstates of mind have silent dialogues.”

　　Early experts on psychology paid no attention to the importance of daydreams or even considered them harmful. At one time daydreaming was thought to be a cause of some mental illnesses. They did not have a better understanding of daydreams until the late 1980s. Eric Klinger, a professor of psychology, is the writer of the book Daydreaming. Klinger says, “We know that daydreaming is one of the main ways that we organize our lives, learn from our experiences and plan for our futures—daydreams really are a window on the things we fear and the things we long for in life.”

　　Daydreams are usually very simple and direct, quite unlike sleep, which may be hard to understand. It's easier to gain a deep understanding of your life by paying close attention to your daydreams than by trying to examine your sleep dreams carefully. Daydreams help you recognize the difficult situations in your life and find out a possible way of handling them.

　　Daydreams cannot be predicted (预料): they move off in unexpected directions which may be creative and full of useful ideas. For many famous artists and scientists, daydreams were and are a main source of creative energy.

　　So the next time you catch yourself daydreaming, don't stop. Just pay attention to your dream. It may be more important than you think.

1．Daydreaming used to be considered ________.

[　　]

A．very simple and direct

B．unimportant or even harmful

C．a necessary part of thinking

D．the result of an unconscious mind

2．In what way are daydreams different from sleep dreams?

[　　]

A．Daydreams are easier for us to understand.

B．Daydreams are not easy for us to control and direct.

C．Daydreams help us to handle more difficult situations.

D．Daydreams help us to develop an unconscious mind.

3．Professor Erie Klinger believes that ________.

[　　]

A．we may study our experiences just through our daydreams

B．daydreaming is one of the impertant ways that we recognize our life

C．we should be able to tell our futures by having daydreams

D．our fears and longings in life are shown in our daydreams

4．The writer of the article thinks that ________.

[　　]

A．Professor Eric Klinger has a better idea than L. Giamra

B．daydreaming with an unconscious mind will do good to health

C．daydreaming is more helpful than sleep dreams

D．many artists and scientists are famous because they have daydreams

5．Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the passage?

[　　]

A．Daydreaming was once regarded as a cause of some mental illnesses.

B．Scientists believe that we can know daydream before having them.

C．Experts began to have a better understanding of daydreams in the late 1980s.

D．Many well-known artists gained energy of creation from daydreams.

阅读理解

　　If you want to stay young, sit down and have a good think. This is a research finding of a team of Japanese doctors, who say that most of our brains are not getting enough exercise—and as a result, we are growing old unnecessarily soon.

　　Professor Taiju Matsuzawa wanted to find out why quite healthy farmers in modern Japan appeared to be losing their ability to think and reason (推理) at a rather early age, and how the speed of getting old could be slowed down.

　 With a team of researchers in Tokyo National University, be set about measuring brain volumes (容量) of a thousand people of different ages with different jobs.

　　Computer technology helped the researchers to get most exact measurements of the volume of the front and side parts of the brain, which have something to do with intellect (智力) and feelings, and decide the human character. As we all know, the back part of the brain, which controls tasks like eating and breathing, does not contract (萎缩) with age.

　　Contraction of front and side parts—as cells (细胞) die off—was seen in some people in their thirties, but it was still not found in some sixty or seventy year olds.

　　The findings show that contraction of the brain begins sooner in people in the country than in the town. Those with least possibility, says Matsuzawa, are lawyers, followed by university professors and doctors. White collar workers doing the same work day after day in government offices are, however, as possible to have contracting brains as the farmer worker, bus drivers and shop assistants.

1．The team of doctors wanted to find out ________.

[　　]

A．at what point people grow mentally old

B．how to make people live longer

C．the size of certain people's brains

D．which people are the most clever

2．Their research findings are based on ________.

[　　]

A．an examination of farmers in northern Japan

B．tests given on a thousand old people

C．examine the brain volumes of different people

D．using computer technology