阅读理解综合训练（二）(67822)-高三英语阅读(425)-21英语网

A

Pushing open our gate, I am surprised to see a strange man, back toward me, entering our house. Only when he turns around do I realize that I am looking at my 12-year-old son, Marlon.

It seemed only yesterday that I brought him, a newborn, home from the hospital. Carrying him into our house, I wondered at how tiny he was.

A dozen years later Marlon is neither small nor slight. Nowadays he can lift me up effortlessly. I am excitedly recording his progress on our growth chart.

Handwritten lines and the dates they were penciled in appear along the chart’s length. Of course, my husband and I have only one line each to represent us. His is located at slightly over five feet eight inches, mine is at five inches or so. The rest belong to Marlon and his younger brother, Mark Justin, put in at various times over the years, especially on their birthdays.

My eldest and I had taken to guessing how long it would take before he became taller than me. We would be back-to-back, standing sideways before the mirror, and at times it looked like he had done it. But measured against the chart…no, not just yet apparently. Then a few weeks short of his twelfth birthday, it happened: Son finally grew taller than his mother.

Marlon cheered as the chart showed he was now a half an inch taller than me. I double-checked and the results were the same.

While I was happy for him, I was a bit sad too. Staring at the freshly inked line, I realized what other parents had told me was true: Kids grow up so fast you never really know where the years have gone. But the chart only shows how tall they've grown; it does not give the stories behind those growing years: the panic over childhood health emergencies, the mad search for a child who got lost and, happily, was found, the peace-making during silly fights between best friends, the happy days of birthday parties and lazy nights of storytelling.

1. From the text, we can conclude that the writer ______.

A. couldn’t recognize her son because he had been away for so long

B. felt the lack of communication made her son a stranger to her

C. couldn’t recognize her son because he had grown so fast

D. was interested that her son was once so little

2. Which of the following is correct, according to the text?

A. The growth chart contains four lines in total.

B. The growth chart shows the parents’ love for kids.

C. Mark is expected to grow much taller than his elder brother.

D. Shortly after Marlon turned 12, he grew taller than his mother.

3. The last paragraph shows that the writer ______.

A. has experienced a lot while parenting

B. feels parenting is a rewarding experience

C. is satisfied with the chart she made

D. feels sad that the children will one day leave home

4. The best title for the text would be _____.

A. My son B. Flying time

C. Growth chart D. Marlon’s height

B

Lost wallets which contain a snapshot or picture of a baby are more likely to be returned to their owners, scientists have discovered.

Researchers left 240 wallets on the streets of Edinburgh last year to see how many were returned to their owners. Some of the wallets contained one of four photographs – the baby, a cute little dog, a family and a portrait of an elderly couple. Other wallets contained a card suggesting the owner had recently made a charity donation, while a control sample (对照组) contained nothing at all.

Professor Richard Wiseman, a psychologist who was in charge of the experiment, said 42 percent of the wallets were posted back in total. Those containing the picture of the infant, or the baby were most likely to bring about an honest reaction from the finder, with 88 percent being returned, followed by those containing pictures of the little dog at 53 percent. Of those featuring the family snapshot, 48 percent were sent to the return address and only 28 percent of those with the picture of the elderly couple. Wallets containing the charity cards and the control sample were least likely to be returned, with rates of 20 and 15 percent respectively (分别).

Prof Wiseman, of the University of Hertfordshire, said: “The baby kicked off a caring feeling in people, which is not surprising from an evolutionary perspective (角度). “We were amazed by the high percentage of wallets that came back.”

The wallets were planted at random about a quarter of a mile apart. Snapshots were inserted into a clear plastic window inside the wallets, none of which contained money.

5. The purpose of the text is mainly to ______.

A. give figures that show most wallets are returned if they don’t contain money

B. advice carrying children’s photos in wallets and avoid carrying cash

C. inform readers about the possibilities of different wallets being returned

D. show how to conduct an experiment scientifically

6. The underlined phrase “kicked off” in paragraph 4 most probably means “______”.

A. awoke B. showed

C. avoide D. accepted

7. The conclusion were drawn by _______.

A. observing reactions B. comparing data

C. asking questions D. grouping different kinds

8. It can be inferred that ______.

A. Professor Wiseman hadn’t expected the results

B. dogs are more respected in Western countries than the elderly

C. people who return wallets are interested in psychology

D. the rate of return of lost wallets wouldn’t be so high if they contained money

C

With obesity rates on the rise among Americans and their pets, two Californian women have come up with an all-in-one solution – a doggy boot camp where dog owners and their dogs work out together.

Thank Dog! Bootcamp is the nation’s first outdoor fitness program where both humans and dogs get a full body workout while the dogs also learn basic obedience skills.

Founded two years ago by identical twins Jill and Jamie Bowers, the program has grown to include classes at various Los Angeles and Orange County locations and most recently in Northern California. Classes begin as early as 6 am with instructors yelling out drill-like orders in the traditional boot camp style. The difference here is that instructors are certified (证明合格) in both fitness and dog training, and each boot camper happens to have a four-legged partner by their side at all times. “People need to exercise, and dogs need to be trained and exercised,” said Jill Bowers.

The class takes place on a field in a public park with 30 minutes of cardio (有氧运动) and 30 minutes of weight training. Each person has a mat (垫子) with weights and bands. Their dog has its own mat and water bowl beside their owner. The cardio part involves boot campers running around park trails and moving through obstacle courses on the field with their pet companions. Various jumps, sprinting and other movements are required for the humans.

Meanwhile, dogs are told to obey a series of numbered orders ranging from “sit” to “down” to “come.” “A lack of exercise and training causes dogs to have behavioral problems,” says Bowers. “If they don’t have enough activity to use their energy, they take it out on your favorite sofa or your designer shoes.”

Latest figures show that in 2009 about 28 percent of Americans aged 20 and over were overweight, up from 19.4 percent in 1997, while it is thought that about 43 percent of US dogs are overweight or obese.

9. The article is mainly about ______.

A. a new type of workout program

B. popular boot camps in California

C. increasing obesity rates in the US D. ways for dogs and dog owners to beat obesity

10. Which of the following is TRUE, according to the text?

A. Bowers’ boot camp was the first boot camp in the US.

B. Dogs in Bowers’ boot camp are trained to work out on their own.

C. People and their dogs need to exercise and go on a diet in Bowers’ boot camp.

D. Bowers’ boot camp is different from others in that people exercise alongside their dogs.

11. The development of Thank Dog! Bootcamp is probably due to ______.

A. easy access to the exercise place

B. instructors having much higher standards

C. carefully designed routines and strict orders

D. the climbing percentage of overweight people and their pets

12. It can be concluded from the text that ______.

A. it’s better to have companions during exercise

B. morning is a good time for losing weight

C. most young Americans youth and dogs are fat

D. dogs can suffer behavioral disorders if they do not exercise

D

When somebody mentions Russia, what usually comes to mind are cold winters and old Soviet-era (苏联时期) apartment buildings. The last thing we imagine is a city as beautiful as Paris, with more bridges than Venice, Italy. But that’s exactly what you get in St. Petersburg (圣彼得堡). St. Petersburg is Russia’s window onto Europe.

Czar (沙皇) Peter the Great founded the city in 1703 with the only purpose of competing with European capitals such as Paris and Berlin. The historic avenues, parks, churches and buildings make up a tourists’ wonderland.

The architects of St. Petersburg were mostly from Europe. They designed its numerous palaces and buildings to be as beautiful as those in Europe. Run through by the Neva River and its many canals (运河), St. Petersburg has more bridges than any other city in the world – 539 to be exact. Its long summer nights, called White Nights, make July and August the best time to visit.

With so many amazing palaces to visit and places to see, where does one start? Probably the best place would be the Palace Square. It is one of Europe’s most beautiful squares, lined with colorful monuments showing the defeat of Napoleon’s armies. To one side of the square is the green, white, and gold exterior (外部) of the Winter Palace. From 1760 to 1917, the Winter Palace was the residence of the Russian Czars.

Another great place to visit is Nevsky Prospect, the main road in St. Petersburg. It is lined on both sides with fine buildings and its sidewalks are always full of people. This road runs right through the oldest part of the city. Along its route you can find many historic churches, the Arts Square, the Russian Museum, the Russian National Library, many beautiful statues, and the largest department store in St. Petersburg.

If you want to get out of St. Petersburg for a nice walk, go to the Kirovsky Islands, just north of the city center. The islands are good for picnics and relaxation. There you can find summerhouses, boating channels, cycling paths and a seaside park, all neighboring the houses of St. Petersburg’s rich.

13. What does the underlined sentence in the first paragraph mean?

A. We know for certain that St. Petersburg is a very beautiful city.

B. We will remember St. Petersburg after visiting Paris and Venice.

C. We never expect St. Petersburg to match Paris or Venice in beauty.

D. We wonder if St. Petersburg is as beautiful as Paris and Venice.

14. The story is written mainly to ______.

A. compare St. Petersburg with European capitals

B. introduce to you St. Petersburg’s history and culture

C. introduce to you a tourists’ wonderland St. Petersburg

D. explain how to appreciate the architecture in St. Petersburg

15. Which of the following is suggested as the first stop in St. Petersburg for a traveler?

A. Nevsky Prospect. B. Palace Square.

C. The Winter Palace. D. The Russian Museum.

16. What makes St. Petersburg worth visiting?

A. Its architecture. B. Its art collections.

C. Its special climate. D. Its unique bridges.

E

Editor’s note:

Got a question about college?

Instant Message NSM’s editor Laura (NSMAnswerGirl) with your questions about life after high school!

Want to give your advice? E-mail your do’s and don’ts to editor@brightfuture.com.

Dos

* _________. No, not so you can beg them to increase your grades. Knowing your teachers will help you learn their expectations and how they teach. Some teachers give occasional extra credits (学分), some might give a pop quiz every week. Look for these kinds of patterns to help you focus.

* Keep an agenda. If your school do not provide a calendar, buy one. Time management is crucial, especially if you find yourself forgetting to do homework because you had a dozen of other things to accomplish in one night.

— Beatrice Rose-Laure Delima

* If you have enough credits that are necessary to graduate, then go ahead, take whatever courses you want and have fun. Enjoy your last year in high school, where most of you don’t need to worry about tuition (学费).

— Sylvia Chow

* Make sure you save the essays you write for scholarships – especially if you send them online. Sometimes you have to send them twice, or you think the college received it, but it didn’t.

— Michelle Callaham

Don’ts

* Don’t give teachers recommendation forms at the last minute. This will cause them to rush to get them done, and they might not always be the best the teacher could have done.

— Michelle

* Don’t base college decisions on what is heard; look into the college yourself. — Taleia Darden

* Don’t forget to keep track of your application status. You never know what you will miss. Even though you think you have sent back everything your college provides, make sure you have confirmation (确认) letters from the college telling you they have gotten every part of your application. (It could be lost in the mail!)

— Sylvia

17. The purpose of the text is to ______.

A. introduce some useful study skills

B. share advice on getting into college

C. explain how to fill out your college application

D. show that careful planning leads to life success

18. Which of the following fits in the blank best?

A. Know your teachers.

B. Write to your teachers.

C. Ask your teachers for advice.

D. Find out the personality of your teachers.

19. The underlined word “agenda” is closest in meaning to ______.

A. program B. schedule

C. plan D. goal

20. You are advised against ______.

A. begging the teachers to increase your grade

B. understanding teachers’ expectations and teaching style

C. listening to others’ advice when choosing colleges

D. losing track of your application status