阅读理解自主练习题(4)

Reading Comprehension (Multiple Choice) (每小题：1分)

Directions: Read the following passages carefully and choose the best answer from the four choices marked A, B, C and D.

Questions 1 to 5 are based on the following passage or dialog.

Once upon a time there was a wise man that used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work. One day he was walking along the shore. As he looked down the beach, he saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance on the beach. So he began to walk faster to catch up.

As he got closer, he saw that it was a young man and the young man wasn't dancing, but instead he was reaching down to the shore, picking up something and very gently throwing it into the ocean.

As he got closer he called out, \"Good morning! What are you doing?\" The young man paused, looking up and replied, \"Throwing starfish (海星) in the ocean.\"

\"Well then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?\"

\"The sun is up and the tide is going out. And if I don't throw them in they'll die.\"

\"But, young man, don't you realize that there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along it. You can't possibly make a difference!\" The young man listened politely. Then he bent down, picked another starfish and threw it into the ocean, past the breaking waves and said, \"It made a difference for that one.\"

There is something very special in each and every one of us. All of us have a natural ability to make a difference. If we can become aware of that ability, we will have the power to shape the future.

All of us must find our starfish. If we throw our starfish wisely and well, the world will be wonderful. 1. Before he began writing, the wise man would ________. A. take a walk along the shore B. go swimming in the ocean

B.C. have a walk and pick up starfish on the beach D. look down the beach and enjoy the scene 2. One day, the wise man saw a young man ________.

A. dancing along the beach B. walking along the beach

C. picking up starfish for sale D. trying to save as many starfish as possible 3. Near the end of the passage, \"something very special\" refers to ________. A. the ability to make decisions B. natural abilities

C. starfish that the young man threw back to the ocean D. our ability to have an effect on the future 4. Which of the following statements is True according to the passage?

A. The wise man and the young man shared the same opinion on the subject of starfish. B. The young man disagreed with the wise man on the subject of starfish.

C. The wise man thought it impossible to save any of the starfish on the beach. D. The young man was unaware of his ability to make a difference for starfish. 5. The writer told this story in order to tell us that ________.

A. every one of us is clever B. all of us can help to shape our future

C. wise men are sometimes stupid D. young people are actually wiser than old people Questions 6 to 10 are based on the following passage or dialog.

For years, it's been assumed that the inside environment limits the variety of plants that people are subjected to. Lately, however, plants that are usually only grown outdoors have found their way into inside spaces. There are a few simple reasons why this is.

The modern inside environment can be a good place for a wide variety of outdoor plants. Plants that ordinarily cannot grow in colder outdoor weather can be protected by the inside spaces, where temperatures are easily controlled. Plants that used to be found only outside, such as trees, have become more and more popular as decorations insid

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阅读理解自主练习题（4）

e houses. Orchids , which were once only found in hot places, have begun to grow well in inside places. A large number of smaller plants have also found their way into homes. One reason that the modern home has made exotic outdoor plants more practical is the modern use of windows. In the past windows were used less often in buildings than they are today. It is partly because of the ability of large windows to admit a large quantity of light from the sun and to keep the heat in at the same time, that many outdoor plants have been able to make their move inside. It is true that most of the plants that have been successful in moving inside have been small. Some of the best-suited varieties are the vines.

Many vines that grow in natural locations make excellent decorations where other plants prove difficult to grow. Although some trees can be grown inside, it is not likely the larger varieties can be used. Unfortunately, most homes just don't have the space to grow a monkey tree. 6. The passage is mainly concerned with ________.

A. the ability of large windows B. the difficulty of moving monkey trees into homes C. growing plants inside houses D. the best suited trees 7. People used to believe that ________.

A. the plants that could grow inside were limited B. the plants that could grow inside were from hot places C. the temperature in the inside environment could be controlled D. the larger plants grew better inside. 8. It is implied or suggested in the passage that ________. A. there are more plants today than ever before

B. people like to use plants as decorations in their houses C. people move plants into their houses to save them D. the uses of windows in the past were not practical 9. One function of modern windows is ________.

A. to allow fresh air in B. to grow plants and trees inside C. to provide heat and light D. to control the temperature

10. It is not likely that large plants will move inside because ________.

A. the weather is not suitable B. they cannot be moved C. they cannot be controlled D. there is not enough space

Questions 11 to 15 are based on the following passage or dialog.

These days we are so accustomed to instant communication, it is hard to imagine the excitement that was created in the nineteenth century when cables, which were used to transmit telegraph messages, were laid.

Cable laying proved to be immensely difficult. The cable that carried the first telegraph messages between

England and France in the autumn of 1850 had a very short life. The day after, a fisherman \"caught\" the cable by mistake. Thinking that the copper wire at the center of the thick cable was gold, he cut a piece off to show his friends. However, a new cable was laid, and soon news could travel

quickly across Europe. But there was still no way of sending messages between Europe and America.

When the Atlantic Telegraph Company was formed in 1856, a serious attempt was made to \"join\" Europe to America with no less than 2300 miles of cable. As no single ship could carry such a weight, two sailing vessels, the Agamemnon and the Niagara, shared the job. The intention was that after setting out in opposite directions, they should meet in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean where the two cables would be connected together. But the ships had hardly covered 300 miles when the cable broke. In 1858, a second attempt was made. This time, though greatly hindered by storms, the ships were successful. There was great rejoicing a few months later, when after the combined efforts of both ships, Britain and America were at last connected by cable and the Queen of England was able to speak to the President of the United States. This cable, however, only lasted eleven weeks. Further attempts were postponed until 1864 when Brunei's steamship, the Great Eastern, set forth. This powerful ship did the whole job by itself, but again messages could not travel freely because the cable developed a fault. While it

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阅读理解自主练习题（4）

was being mended, it broke, leaving 1300 miles of worthless cable lying on the ocean floor. But two years later the Great Eastern completed a highly successful journey laying cable, and since then it has become possible to send messages to all parts of the world.

11. When were the first cables in the world laid?

A. In the nineteenth century. B. In the early twentieth century. C. In the eighteenth century. D. In the 1940s. 12. What happened to the first cable between England and France?

A. It didn't work at all because there was something wrong with its quality. B. A fisherman mistook it for a long fish.

C. It was broken by the violent waves in the English Channel. D. Someone cut it.

13. Why were two sailing vessels, the Agamemnon and the Niagara, used to lay the cable? A. Because one ship couldn't cover 2300 miles. B. Because it was difficult to find a cable of 2300 miles. C. Because one ship couldn't carry the weight of the cable. D. Because the cable of 2300 miles was more likely to break.

14. The Queen of England wasn't able to speak to the President of the United States until ______. A. 1850 B. 1856 C. 1858 D. 1864

15. When were people able to send messages all around the world? A. 1866. B. 1864. C. 1850. D. 1856.

Questions 16 to 20 are based on the following passage or dialog.

An American spacecraft is just about to fly past the planet Neptune (August 1989). No other object from Earth has ever made such a trip. The unmanned spacecraft is called Voyager-2. It will fly past Neptune at four hours, Greenwich Mean Time, Friday (August 25, 1989). Voyager-2 weighs just one ton. It is moving 27 kilometers a second. As it flies past Neptune, it will get within 5000 kilometers of the planet's north pole. For the first time, scientists will get a close look at a planet that is more than 4000-million kilometers away from Earth. We know very little about Neptune. From Earth, even through powerful telescopes, the planet looks just like a fuzzy blue-green ball. We have learned some things, however. For example, Neptune is about four times bigger than Earth. It is mostly gas with only a small solid center. It has several moons. And like the other distant planets in our solar system, it has rings. The amount of sunlight reaching Neptune is about 1000 times less than the amount reaching Earth. So we know it is cold, about 212 degrees below zero Celsius.

Voyager-2 will tell us much more about Neptune. It is sending detailed pictures and thousands of pieces of information back to Earth during its flight. Thirty-eight listening centers on four continents are receiving the information. Scientists expect to spend many years attempting to understand the meaning of all this new information. The trip to Neptune has been a long one. Voyager-2 and another spacecraft, Voyager-1, were launched 12 years ago. The goal was to explore the planets, Jupiter and Saturn. When that work was done,

scientists redirected Voyager-2 to the planet Uranus. And three years ago, they used the gravity of Uranus to direct the spacecraft to Neptune.

16. Which of the following could be the best title of this passage?

A. Exploring the Planet Neptune. B. Exploring Outer Space. C. Exploring the Planet. D. Exploring Planets. 17. It can be inferred from the passage that_____. A. Neptune is about four times as big as Earth B. Neptune is a planet in the Solar System

C. the amount of sunlight reaching Neptune is no less than the amount reaching Earth D. Neptune is as cold as the other planets

18. Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A. Neptune is a planet that is more than 4000-million kilometers from Earth.

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阅读理解自主练习题（4）

B. Scientists know very little about Neptune. C. Neptune is much bigger than Earth.

D. Neptune is much colder than Earth because it is about 212 degrees below zero Celsius. 19. Which of the following statements is True according to the passage?

A. Voyager-2 will fly past Neptune at four o'clock, Greenwich Mean Time, Friday. B. Voyager-2 will be launched on Friday. C. Neptune is just a fuzzy blue-green ball.

D. Voyager-2 has sent detailed pictures and thousands of pieces of information back to Earth. 20. The word \"moons\" in Paragraph 3 refers to ______. A. the bodies, which move round the earth B. the bodies, which move round a planet C. the rings around the planet D. the other distant planets

答案：

1. A 2. D 3. D

4. B 5. B 6. C 7. A 8. B 9. C 10. D 11. A 12. D 13. C 14. C 15. A 16. A 17. B 18. D 19. A 20. B

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