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阅读理解专项练习：1When families gather for Christmas dinner, some will stick to formal traditions dating back tograndmas generation. Their tables will be set with the good dishes and silver, and the dress codewill be Sunday best. But in many other homes, this china-and-silver elegance has given way to a stoneware (粗陶) and stainless informality, with dresses assuming an equally casual-Friday look. For hosts andguests, the change means greater simplicity and comfort. For makers of fine china in Britain, itspells economic hard times. Last week Royal Doulton, the largest employer in Stoke-on-Trent, announced that it is eliminating 1,000 jobs - one-fifth of its total workforce. That brings to more than 4, 000 the number of positions lost in 18 months in the pottery (陶瓷) region. Wedgwood and other pottery factories made cuts earlier. Although a strong pound and weak markets in Asia play a role in the downsizing, the layoffs inStoke have their roots in earthshaking social shifts. A spokesman for Royal Doulton admitted that thecompany has been somewhat slow in catching up with the trend toward casual dining. Families eat together less often, he explained, and more people eat alone, either because they are single or they eat infront of television. Even dinner parties, if they happen at all, have gone casual. In a time of long work hours anddemanding family schedules, busy hosts insist, rightly, that its better to share a takeout pizzaon paper plates in the family room than to wait for the perfect moment or a real dinner party.Too often, the perfect moment never comes. Iron a fine-patterned tablecloth? Forget it. Polish thesilver? Who has time? Yet the loss of formality has its down side. The fine points of etiquette (礼节) that childrenmight once have learned at the table by observation or instruction from parents and grandparents( Chew with your mouth closed. Keep your elbows off the table. ) must be picked up else-where. Some companies now offer etiquette seminars for employees who may be able professionally but inexperienced socially.72. Why do people tend to follow the trend to casual dining? A. Family members need more time to relax. B. Busy schedules leave people no time for formality. C. People prefer to live a comfortable life. D. Young people wont follow the etiquette of the older generation.73. It can be learned from the passage that Royal Doulton is . A. a seller of stainless steel tableware B. a dealer in stoneware C. a pottery chain store D. a producer of fine China74. The main cause of the layoffs in the pottery industry is . A. the increased value of the pound B. the worsening economy in Asia C. the change in peoples way of life D. the fierce competition at home and abroad75. Formal table manners, though less popular than before in current Social life, . A. are still a must on certain occasions B. are certain to return sooner or later C. are still being taught by parents at homeD. can help improve personal relationships2When Johnny Cash sings, people listen. His big, deep voice rumbles out of radios and juke-boxes across North America. His records sell by the million. Country-music fans everywhere, knowhis big hits. They love songs like Hey Porter, Ring of Fire, and Folsom Prison Blue. Johnny Cash sings about a hundred concerts a year. People like what they hear-and whatthey see, too. Rugged and big-shouldered, the singer stands six-two without his black boots on.Hes a two-hundred-pound package of muscle and talent. And that scar(疤痕)on his cheek? Itsa bullet(子弹)hole, of course! In the minds of most people, Johnny Cash is Mr Tough( violent) Guy. Hes an ex-drug addict (上瘾者)who was once put in prison. His grandmother was an Indian. To keep from starving he once had to live on wild rabbits killed from forty feet away with a knife. Some people say heeven killed a man. In fact, most of the Johnny Cash story is just that-a story. True, years ago he had a drughabit for a short time. He popped pills. But he never used heroin or other hard drugs. Some-times hed go wild and get locked up for a few hours . But he never served a prison sentence.Theres no Indian blood in his veins. Hes been a killer only in song. As for the bullet hole,its an old scar left by a doctor who opened a cyst(囊肿). People who know Johnny Cash well say hes a gentle guy, a generous guy-anything buta tough guy. How did the stories get started? Some of them, like the story about the Indiangrandmother, he made up long ago to add excitement to his career. Others , like the bullethole , simply got started. Now theres little the singer can do to change peoples minds. Theyjust want to believe it, he says. 56. Johnny Cash is a favorite of many . A. opera lovers B. country music fans C. hard-rock fans D. jazz music lovers 57. In truth, Johnny Cash . A. invented the Indian grandmother B. used to kill rabbits for a living C. had a bullet hole on his cheek D. served a long prison sentence 58. In his private life, Johnny Cash is, . A. much wilder than he looks B. much smaller than he is on stage C. much tougher than he is in public D. much more gentle than most people suppose 59. The passage shows us that many people believe . A. only what they see B. what they are sure is true C. only what they hear D. what they find interesting B3Do dogs understand us? Be careful what you say around your dog. It might understand more than you think. A border collie named Rico recognizes the names of about 200 objects, say researchers in Germany. The dog also appears to be able to learn new words as easily as a 3-year-old child. Its word-learning skills are as good as those of a parrot or chimpanzee(黑猩猩). In one experiment, the researchers took all 200 items that Rico is supposed to know and divided them into 20 groups of 10 objects. Then the owner told the dog to go and fetch one of the items and bring it back. In four tests, Rico got 37 out of 40 commands right. As the dog couldnt see anyone to get clues, the scientists believe Rico must understand the meanings of certain words. In another experiment, the scientists took one toy that Rico had never seen before and put it in a room with seven toys whose names the dog already knew. The owner then told Rico to fetch the object, using a word the dog had never heard before. The correct object was chosen in seven out of l0 tests, suggesting that the dog had workedout the answer by process of elimination(排除法). A month later, Rico remembered half of the new names, which is even more impressive. Rico is thought to be smarter than the average dog. For one thing, Rico is a border collie, a breed (品种)known for its mental abilities. In addition, the 9-year-old dog has been trained to fetch toys by their names since the age of nine months. Its hard to know if all dogs understand at least some of the words we say. Even if they do, they cant talk back. Still, it wouldnt hurt to sweet-talk your dog every now and then. You might just get a big, wet kiss in return!60. From paragraph 2 we know that _ . A. animals are as clever as human beings B. dogs are smarter than parrots and chimpanzees C. chimpanzees have very good word-learning skills D. dogs have similar learning abilities as 3-year-old children61. Both experiments show that . A. Rico is smart enough to get all commands right B. Rico can recognize different things including toys C. Rico has developed the ability of learning mathematics D. Rico wont forget the names of objects once recognizing them62. Which of the following statements is true? A. The purpose of the experiments is to show the border collies mental abilities. B. Rico has a better memory partly because of its proper early training. C. The border collie is world-famous for recognizing objects. D. Rico is born to understand its owners commands.63. What does the writer want to tell us? A. To train your dog. B. To talk to your dog. C. To be friendly to your dog. D. To be careful with your dog.4Paynes Prairie(used)Have you ever heard of Paynes Prairie? It is one of the most important natural and historical areas in Florida. Paynes Prairie is located near Gainesville. It is large, 21 000 acres. This protected land is called a preserve. The Florida Park Service manage the preserve. The Paynes Prairie basin was formed when limestone dissolved and the ground settled. It is covered by marsh(沼泽)and wet prairie vegetation. There are areas of open water. During brief periods it has flooded enough to be considered a lake. Except for that, the basin has changed little through time. Man has lived on Paynes Prairie a very long time. He lived there as far back as 10000 B. C. At one time, the Seminoles lived there. The prairie is thought to have been named after King Payne, a Seminole chief. During the late 1600s, the largest cattle ranch in Florida was on Paynes Prairie. Today, Paynes Prairie is preserved land . It is occupied by visitors and Florida Park Service employees. Willam Bartram visited Paynes Praire. Bartram was the first person who portrayed (described)nature through personal experience as well as scientific observation. He lived 200 years ago. He visited Paynes Prairie in 1774. At that time he described it. He called Paynes Prairie the great Alachua Savannah. Most of the animal life, which Bartram described, is still here. A large number of sandhill cranes, hawks and waterfowl are here in winter. The animal diversity is increased by the presence of pine flatwoods, hammock, swamps and ponds. The Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park is open year round. The Florida Park Service works hard so that the park will appear as it did in the past. It offers many opportunities for recreation. At the park you can camp and picnic. You can hike and bike. You can boat and fish. You can ride on horse trails. And you can see lots of nature and wildlife. You can see Florida as it was in the early days. Paynes Prairie is a part of our Florida history. It is an example of our Florida natural resources. It is a place for recreation. Paynes Prairie is an important experience of the Real Florida. 64. How was the Paynes Prairie basin formed? A. By the Seminole Indians. B. By the Florida Park Service. C. From dissolved limestone and the ground settling. D. From lots of flooding and wet prairie vegetation. 65. The underlined word diversity means “ .” A. variety B. society C. population D. area 66. All of the following are true EXCEPT that _ . A. Paynes Prairie has changed little through time B. Paynes Prairie is covered by wet prairie grasses C. there used to be a big cattle farm on Paynes Prairie D. William Bartram was the first person to visit Paynes Prairie 67. The purpose of the passage is to . A. call on people to protect widlife B. attract people to this preserved park C. show you the formation of Paynes PrairieD. introduce the recorded history of Paynes Prairie5 NOT all memories are sweet. Some people spend all their lives trying to forget bad experiences. Violence and traffic accidents can leave people with terrible physical and emotional scars. Often they relive these experiences in nightmares. Now American researchers think they are close to developing a pill, which will help people forget bad memories. The pill is designed to be taken immediately after a frightening experience. They hope it might reduce ,or possibly erase(抹去),the effect of painful memories. In November, experts tested a drug on people in the US and France. The drug stops the body releasing chemicals that fix memories in the brain. So far the research has suggested that only the emotional effects of memories may be reduced, not that the memories are erased. The research has caused a great deal of argument. Some think it is a bad idea, While others support it. Supporters say it could lead to pills that prevent or treat soldiers troubling memories after war. They say that there are many people who suffer from terrible memories. Some memories can ruin peoples lives . They come back to you when you dont want to have them in a daydream or nightmare. They usually come with very painful emotions, said Roger Pitman, a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. This could relieve a lot of that suffering. But those who are against the research say that changing memories is very dangerous because memories give us our identity (特质). They also help us all avoid the mistakes of the past. All of us can think of bad events in our lives that were horrible at the time but make us who we are. Im not sure we want to wipe those memories out, said Rebecca Dresser, a medical ethicist. 68. The passage is mainly about . A. a new medical invention B. a new research on the pill C. a way of erasing painful memories D. an argument about the research on the pill 69. The drug tested on people can . A. cause the brain to fix memories B. stop people remembering bad experiences C. prevent body producing certain chemicals D. Wipe out the emotional effects of memories70. We can infer from the passage that . A. people doubt the effects of the pills B. the pill will stop peoples bad experiences C. taking the pill will do harm to peoples health D. the pill has probably been produced in America71. Which of the following does Rebecca Dresser agree with? A. Some memories can ruin peoples lives. B. People want to get rid of bad memories. C. Experiencing bad events makes us different from others. D. The pill will reduce peoples sufferings from bad memories.6 Whats your dream vacation? Watching wildlife in Kenya? Boating down the Amazon? Sunbathing in Malaysia? New chances are opening up all the time to explore the world. So we visit travel agents, compare packages and prices ,and pay our money. We know what our vacation costs us. But do we know what it might cost someone else? Its true that many poorer countries now depend on tourism for foreign income. Unfortunately, though, tourism often harms the local people more than it helps them. It might cost their homes and lands. In Myanmar, 5,200 people were forced to leave their homes among the pagodas(佛塔)in Bagan so that tourists could visit the pagodas. Tourism might also cost the local people their livelihood and dignity. Local workers often find only menial(卑微的)jobs in the tourist industry. And most of the profits do not help the local economy. Instead, profits return to the tour operators in wealthier countries, When the Maasai people in Tanzania were driven from their lands, some moved to city slums. Others now make a little money selling souvenirs or posing for photos. Problems like these were Observed more that 20 years ago. But now some non-government organizations, tour operators and local governments are working together to begin correcting them. Tourists, too, are putting on the pressure. The result is responsible tourism, or “ethical tourism.” Ethical tourism has people at its heart. New international agreements and codes of conduct can help protect the peoples lands, homes, economies and cultures. The beginnings are small, though, and the problems are complex. But take heart. The good news is that everyone, including us, can play a part to help the local people in the places we visit. Tour operators and companies can help by making sure that local people work in good conditions and earn reasonable wages. They can make it a point to use only locally owned hotel, restaurants and guide services. They can share profits fairly to help the local economy. And they can involve the local people in planning and managing tourism. What can tourists do? First, we can ask tour companies to provide information about the conditions of local citizens. We can then make our choices and tell them why. And while were abroad, we can: Buy local foods and products, not imported ones. Pay a fair price for goods and services and not bargain for the cheapest price. Avoid flaunting wealth. Ask before taking photographs of people. They are not just part of the landscape! Lets enjoy our vacation and make sure others do, too.72. What is probably the best title for the article? A. Tourism Causes Bad Effects. B. Tourism Calls for Good Behavior. C. Vacations Bring a Lot of Fun. D. Vacations Cost More Than You Think73. Which of the following is not mentioned? A. Local people were well paid to leave their lands. B. Tourists may stay in hotels opened by local people. C. Local people are mainly provided with low-paying work. D. Tourists could bargain with local people for a reasonable price.74. The underlined phrase take heart means . A. pay attention B. take care C. cheer up D. calm down75. According to the passage, the writer thinks . A. tourism is not a promising industry B. dream vacations should be spent abroad C. the problems caused by tourism are easy to settle D. tourists should respect local customs and culture7Robert Owen was born in Wales in 1771. At the age of ten he went to work. His employer had a large private library so Owen was able to educate himself. He read a lot in his spare time and at nineteen he was given the job of superintendent(监工) at a Manchester cotton mill. He was so successful there that he persuaded his employer to buy the New Lanark mill in Scotland.When he arrived at New Lanark it was a dirty little town with a population of 2,000 people. Nobody paid any attention to the workers houses or their childrens education. The conditions in the factories were very bad. There was a lot of crime and the men spent most of their wages on alcoholic drinks.Owen improved the houses. He encouraged people to be clean and save money. He opened a shop and sold the workers cheap, well-made goods to help them. He limited the sale of alcoholic drinks. Above all, he fixed his mind on the childrens education. In 1816 he opened the first free primary school in Britain.People came from all over the country to visit Owens factory. They saw that the workers were healthier and more efficient than in other towns. Their children were better fed and better educated. Owen tried the same experiment in the United States. He bought some land there in 1825,but the community was too far away. He could not keep it under control and lost most of his money.Owen never stopped fighting for his idea. Above all he believed that people are not born good or bad. He was a practical man and his ideas were practical. If you give people good working conditions, he thought, they will work well and, the most important thing of all, if you give them the chance to learn, they will be better people. 56. F
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