阅读理解
Passage One
Expecting a baby?
HEALTHY BABY: Manitoba’s Prenatal(怀孕) Benefit and Community Support Programs
It’s what’s inside that counts
When you’re pregnant, it’s important that you eat well to help you and your growing baby. That’s why if you live in Manitoba and your net family income is less that $ 32,000 a year, the Manitoba government offers you a monthly cheque during your pregnancy to help you buy healthy foods and prepare for your baby’s arrival.
How to apply
Pick up an application form from medical offices, Healthy Baby community programs or by calling the number below. The application form must include a medical note indicating your baby’s due date, so see your health care provider early.
More support for you and your baby
Through Healthy Child Manitoba, Healthy Baby also offers community programs which help you to learn more about nutrition, health and parenting a baby.
For more information, please call:
945-1301( in Winnipeg )
1-888-848-0140( at no cost )
945-1305 TDD( Telephone Device for the Deaf)
1. What program is this passage about?
A. Baby food. B. Low-income families.
C. Women’s health. D. Birth and growth of healthy babies.
2. Who can enjoy the benefits of the program?
A. Pregnant women of high risk. B. pregnant women of first child.
C. pregnant women in good health. D. Pregnant women with low income.
3. The most important information to be filled in the application forms is ______.
A. the pregnant woman’s name B. when the baby is due to arrive
C. the pregnant woman’s medical history D. in which hospital the baby is to be delivered
4. Healthy Baby will also provide more help in all aspects but ______.
A. baby education B. baby nutrition C. baby parenting D. baby health
5. For further information, the deaf can ______.
A. call 945-1305TDD B. dial 1-888-848-0140
C. visit their health care provider D. send email to a medical office
Passage Two
In the past, people who graduated from college felt proud of their academic achievements and confident that their degree would help them to find a good job.
However, in the past four years the job market has changed dramatically. This year’s college graduates are facing one of the worst job markets. For example, Ryan Stewart, a graduate of san Jose State University, got a degree in religious studies, but he has not gotten any job offers. He points out that many people already working are getting laid off and don’t have jobs, so it’s even harder for new college graduates to find jobs.
Four years ago, the future looked bright for his class of 2006. There were many high-tech (“dotcom”) job opportunities, graduates received many job offers, and they were able to get jobs with high salaries and benefits such as health insurance and paid vacations. However, “Times have changed. It’s a new market.” according to an officer of the university.
The officer says students who do find jobs started preparing two years ago. They worked during summer vacations, they have had several short-time jobs, and they majored in fields that are still paying well, such as accounting or nursing.
Even teaching is not a secure profession now. Ryan Stewart wanted to be a teacher, but instead he will probably go back to school in order to become a college teacher. He thinks college teaching could be a good career even in a bad economy.
In conclusion, these days a college degree does not automatically lead to a good job with a high salary. Some students can only hope that the value of their degree will increase in the future.
1. What did a college degree mean to people in the past?
A. It was a proof of their professional skills.
B. It would guarantee their quick promotion.
C. It built up their confidence in the job market.
D. It would help them to start an academic career.
2. Ryan Stewart has not got any job offer because_______.
A. there are too many graduates of his major
B. he wants to find a job with very high salary
C. he has not received a degree in the university
D. the job market has changed greatly since 2002
3. According to the passage, _______ had the best job prospects in 2002.
A. computer science B. accounting C. teaching D. nursing
4. Why does Ryan Stewart want to be a college teacher?
A. Teaching jobs are well-paid.
B. He majored in teaching in the university.
C. College teaching is less challenging than high-tech jobs.
D. College teaching career won’t be influenced by economy.
5. It can be concluded from the passage that _______.
A. the value of a college degree has decreased now.
B. new college graduates today can’t find jobs.
C. a college degree can still lead to a good job.
D. graduates must prepare early to find jobs.
Passage Three
Shoron Keating was worried about her kids when she got a divorce. Her daughter says, “ I was feeling … like down and sad even though I didn’t really show it.
Judith Wallerstein says problems from divorce can last many years. They can show up when the kids are adults. And the kids have their own trouble. Wallerstein studied 93 children over a generation. The results can be found in her book.
She says that children of divorce are more likely to have problems with drugs. They are far more likely to seek therapy. About 40 percent of them avoid marriage themselves. When they do marry, fail at nearly twice the usual rate. It is hard for them to trust. They are afraid of failing.
Critics say Wallerstein had too few children in her study. They think that Wallerstein stresses too much from a small study. Other things may be the cause of the kid’s problem. The study does not compare kids from divorced families with kids from “healthy” families.
Wallerstein’s families divorced a generation ago. Times have changed. People feel different about divorce. Today programs like Kid’s Turn try to reduce some of the effects of divorce with family advice. Talking about their feelings helps the kids get though it. Since they know more about the problem, maybe the kids will be able to handle it.
1. Which word can best describe the kids from divorced families according to Paragraph 1?
A. Offensive B. Relieved C. Depressed D. Prejudiced
2. Children from divorced families who marry later will ______.
A. have no trust in other people
B. be more likely to get divorced
C. firmly protect their marriage
D. have stable marriage
3. Wallerstein’s study showed that ______.
A. divorce left the children with many problems
B. all the problems showed up right after the divorce
C. divorce could be avoided
D. divorce is the only cause of children mature earlier
4. Which of the following is critics’ opinion?
A. Healthy families do not have problems.
B. All the related factors were considered in the study.
C. Divorce is the only cause of child problems.
D. The number of families studied was not sufficient.
5. Today children from divorced families______.
A. have no more problems
B. are getting more care and help
C. are less able to handle their problems
D. are told not to talk about their problems
Passage Four
It is still sometimes difficult to understand why those between ages 10 and 18 would endanger their lives by joining armed forces or rebel groups and become fighting soldiers. The recently published book, Young Soldier, Why They Choose to Fight By Rachel Brett and Irma Specht, tries to find an answer.
There is no doubt that children fight in most armed conflicts today. While international attention focuses largely on those who are forced into battles, thousands more enlist (应征入伍) voluntarily.
In an attempt to to understand the young who take up arms, Brett and Specht interviewed 53 boy and girl soldiers and ex-soldiers from around the world, Afghanistan , Colombia, the Republic of the Congo for example. All interviewees were involved with armed forces or armed groups before the age of 18 and all classified themselves as volunteers.
What these two field officers heard is “I joined involuntarily- if you have nothing, you volunteer for the army”. Other reasons young people gave are self- defense, revenge, poverty, and unemployment.
But while it is common knowledge that most child soldiers come from poor and disadvantaged backgrounds, Young Soldiers shows that the issue is far more complex. Many poor children do not join the army. The environmental, educational, social, cultural, and highly personal factors determine whether someone decide to join up or not.
The battlefield is not a place for children. One young soldier described being there as “too sad an experience”. The authors hope that by understanding why teenagers join up, those child soldiers should know how to discourage others from the same tragedy.
1. Young Soldiers, Why They Choose to Fight is ______.
A. a book B. a magazine C. a news report D. a TV program
2. According to paragraph 3, Brett and Specht’s interviewees _______.
A. joined armed forces under 18
B. considered going into the army their duty
C. were only from African countries
D. were mainly the ex-soldiers
3. The reasons shown in young soldiers for children to join the army are______.
A. very simple B. very complex C. unknown D. unbelievable
4.The writers of Young Soldiers probably expect that ______.
A. child soldier would leave armed forces
B. they could find more than 53 interviewees
C. no more children would join armed forces
D. there would be no wars in the world
5. The tone of the passage is ______.
A. pleasant B. indifferent C. humorous D. objective
Passage Five
It’s interesting that technology often works as a servant for us, yet frequently we become a servant to it. E-mail is a useful tool but many feel controlled by this new vehicle. The average businessperson is getting about 80-e-mails per day and many feel that about 80% of the messages in their “In Box” are of little or no value.
So, I have four suggestions to help you to become better at “Easing E-mail”.
1.Get off the lists. The best way to deal with a problem is to never have it. If you are receiving a lot of unwanted e-mails, ask to be removed from the various lists. This would include your inclusion in unwanted “cc” lists.
2.“Unlisted address”. Just like getting an “unlisted” telephone number that you share only with those whom you want to give direct access, you might want to get a separate e-mail address only for the important communications you wish to receive.
3.Check it once or twice per day. Many I speak with are becoming chained to their email server, monitoring incoming email on a continuous basis. Maybe this is because e-mail creates its own sense of urgency, but most of the communications are not all that urgent. I respond to them a couple of times per day.
4.Deal with it. As you open each e-mail do one of the following:
a.If it requires a quick response, respond to it and delete it.
b.If it requires a response but is not the best use of your time, try to find someone else to do it.
c.If it is going to take any serious amount of time to respond, schedule it for action in your Day Planner and then download the message, save it, or print it out for future action.
I personally receive approximately 250 e-mails per day and by practicing the suggestions above, I can handle that volume in about an hour, taking advantage of this fantastic tool but not being controlled by it to the distraction of more important tasks in my day.
1. The passage is about ______.
A. how to check e-mails
B. how to collect e-mails
C. how to deal with your daily e-mails
D. how to deal with 80% valueless e-mails
2. If you get unwanted e-mails, the best you can do is to______.
A. make a list of them
B. put them into “cc” lists
C. send them to a special address
D. delete them from different lists
3. For the important communications, the writer suggests that you______.
A. have a direct access for them
B. have several e-mail servers for them
C. get an unlisted phone number for them
D. get a special e-mail address for them
4. To avoid being chained by the coming e-mails, what you can do is to ______.
A. respond urgent ones only
B. reply all of them at the same time
C. handle them a couple of times daily
D. keep replying e-mails all day long
5. To deal with an e-mail you get, you can do the following EXCEPT______.
A. downloading every e-mail before you reply
B. responding right away if it’s urgent
C. scheduling it for later reply if it takes much time
D. asking someone else to reply it if it’s not at your convenience
Passage Six
During the Christmas shopping rush in London, the interesting story was reported of a tramp who, apparently though no fault of his own, found himself locked in a well-known chain store late on Christmas Eve. No doubt the store was crowded with last-minute Christmas shoppers and the staff were dead beat and longing to get home. Probably all the proper security checks were made before the store was locked and they left to enjoy the three-day holiday untroubled by customers desperate to get last-minute Christmas presents.
However ridiculous that may be, our tramp found himself alone in the store and decided to make the best of it. There was food, drink, bedding and camping equipment, of which he made good use. There must also have been television sets and radios. Though it was not reported if he took advantages of these facilities, when the shop reopened he was discovered in bed with a large number of empty bottles beside him. He seem to have been a man of good humor as indeed tramps very commonly are.
Everyone else was enjoying Christmas, so he saw no good reason why he should not do the same. He yielded himself cheerfully, and was taken by the police. Perhaps he had had a better Christmas than usual. He was sent to prison for seven days. The judge awarded no compensation to the chain store for the food and drink our tramp had consumed. They had, in his opinion, already received valuable free publicity from the story revealed in the newspaper and on television. Perhaps the judge had had a good Christmas, too.
1.The tramp was locked in the store ______.
A. for 7 days B. on purpose C. by accident D. for security reasons
2. It can be inferred from the passage that the underlined phrase “dead beat” in paragraph 1 means ______. A. angry B. exhausted C. forgetful D. careless
3. Which of the following was uncertain about the tramp after he was locked in the store?
A. He watched TV. B. He was well fed. C. he had a sound sleep D. He had a good drink.
4. When the tramp was arrested, he ______.
A. was drunk B. felt he deserved it C. made no resistance D. felt himself wronged
5. The judge didn’t award compensation to the chain store because ______.
A. the store was responsible for what happened
B. the report of the event benefited the store a lot
C. the tramp had stolen nothing of value
D. the tramp was penniless
Passage Seven
If you want to stay young, sit down and have a good think. This is the research result of professor Faulkner, who says that most of our brains are not getting enough exercise and as a result, we are ageing unnecessarily soon.
Professor Faulkner wanted to find out why healthy farmers in northern Japan appeared to be losing their ability to think and to reason at a relatively early age, and how the process of ageing could be slow down.
He set about measuring brain volumes of a thousand people of different ages and occupations.
Computer technology enabled him to obtain precise measurements of the volume of the front and side sections of the brain, which relate to intelligence and emotion, and determine the human character.
Contraction of front and side parts - as cells die off - was observed in some subjects in their thirties, but it was still not evident in some sixty-and seventy-year-olds.
Faulkner concluded from his tests that there is a simple way to slow the contraction - using the head.
The findings show that contraction of the brain begins sooner in people in the country than in the towns. Those least at risk, says Faulkner, are lawyers, followed by university professors and doctors. White-collar workers doing routine work are, however, as likely to have shrinking brains are as the farm worker, bus driver and shop assistant.
Faulkner’s findings show that thinking can prevent the brain from shrinking. Blood must circulate properly in the head to supply the fresh oxygen the brain cells need. “The best way to maintain good blood circulation is through using the brain,” he says. “Think hard and engage in conversation. Don’t rely on pocket calculator.”
1.Professor Faulkner wanted to find out ______.
A.how people’s brains shrink
B.the way of making people live longer
C.the size of certain people’s brains
D.why certain people aged sooner than others
2.Faulkner’s research findings are based on ______.
A.a survey of farmers in northern Japan
B.tests performed on a thousand old people
C.the study of the brain volumes of different people
D.the latest development of computer technology
3.The professor’s tests show that ______.
A.our brains shrink as we grow old
B.the front section of the brain does not shrink
C.seventy-year-olds have better brains than sixty-year-olds
D.brain contraction may vary among people of the same age
4.The underlined word “ subjects” in Paragraph 5 means ______.
A.branches of knowledge studied in a school
B.something to be considered
C.persons experimented on
D.citizens in a country
5.According to the passage, which group of people seem to age slower than the others?
A. farmers B. Lawyers C. Clerks D. Shop assistants
Passage Eight
News has just been received of an air crash in the north of England. The plane, which was on a charter flight from London to Carlisle, was carrying a party of businessmen on their way to a trade fair. It seems likely that the plane ran into a heavy fog as it was approaching Carlisle and was obliged to circle for some twenty minutes. Everything seemed to be going well. The pilot was in constant radio communication with Ground Control when the engines suddenly cut out and all contact was lost. The plane crashed on the site of the ancient Roman camp at Hadrian’s Hill, a place well known to archaeologists and tourists.
So far few details have been reported, but it is feared that at least twenty people lost their lives, among them the pilot, who was killed instantly. The local ambulances and firemen were on the scene within minutes of the crash, but additional help had to be rushed from other areas.
Mr. Lesilie Collins, one of the survivors, told our reporter, “We passengers noticed the engines were making a funny noise. Of course we couldn’t see anything because of the fog, but the pilot said there was nothing to worry about. The next thing we know, the engines went dead. There was a rushing noise - and after that I don’t remember any more.”
Mr. Collins is now in hospital, being treated for minor injuries. We will be bringing you further news of the crash as we receive it. In the meantime relatives are asked to ring 02-3457211 for information.
1.The plane was ______.
A. flying some businessmen to London B. on a regular flight to London
C. returning from a trade fair D. bound for Carlisle
2. What happened when the plane was nearing Carlisle?
A. The pilot misread the signals from Ground Control.
B. Ground Control failed to send out right instructions.
C. The pilot got a report of terrible weather.
D. The engines broke down.
3. According to the passage, the plane crashed at ______.
A. a place in southern England B. a place of historical interest
C. a military training camp D. a camp near London
4. The news report tells us that when the crash occurred ______.
A. the ambulance and firemen arrived quickly B. none of the passengers was killed
C. no additional help was necessary D. help was long delayed
5. From what Mr. Collins said, we can know that he ______.
A. had only an incomplete picture of what happened B. heard and saw nothing at all
C. talked to the pilot D. was once a pilot
Passage Nine
Long after the 1998 World Cup was won, disappointed fans were still cursing the disputed refereeing(裁判) decisions that denied victory to their team. A researcher was appointed to study the performance of some top referees.
The researcher organized an experimental tournament(锦标赛) involving four youth teams. Each match lasted an hour divided into three periods of 20 minutes during which different referees were in charge.
Observers noted down the referees’ errors, of which there were 61 over the tournament. Converted to a standard match of 90 minutes, each referee made almost 23 mistakes, a remarkable high number.
The researcher then studied the videotapes to analyse the matches in detail. Surprisingly, he found that errors were more likely when the referees were close to the incident. When the officials got it right, they were, on average, 17 meters away from the action. The average distance in the case of errors was 12 meters. The research shows the optimum(的) distance is about 20 meters.
There also seemed to be an optimum speed. Correct decisions came when the referees were moving at a speed of about 2 meters per second. The average speed for errors was 4 meters per second.
If FIFA, football’s international ruling body, wants to improve the standard of refereeing at the next World Cup, it should encourage referees to keep their eyes on the action from a distance, rather than rushing to keep up with the ball, the researcher argues.
He also says that FIFA’ s insistence that referees should retire at age 45 may be misguided. If keeping up with the action is not so important, their physical condition is less critical.
1. The experiment conducted by the researcher was meant to ______.
A.set a standard for football refereeing
B.reexamine the rules for football refereeing
C.analyse the causes of errors made by football referees
D.review the decisions of referees at the 1998 World Cup
2.The number of refereeing errors in the experimental matches was ______.
A. quite unexpected B. slightly above average
C. as high as in a standard match D. higher than in the 1998 World Cup
3. The finding of the experiment show that ______.
A. errors are less likely when a referee stays in one spot
B. the more slowly the referee runs the more likely will errors occur
C. the farther the referees is from the incident the fewer the errors
D. errors are more likely when a referee keeps close to the ball
4. The word “official” (Line2,Para.4) most probably refers to ______.
A. the researchers involved in the experiment
B. the referees of the football tournament
C. the observers at the site of the experiment
D. the inspectors of the football tournament
5. What is one of the possible conclusions of the experiment?
A. Age should not be the chief consideration in choosing a football referee.
B. A football referee should be as young and energetic as possible.
C. The ideal retirement age for an experienced football referee is 45.
D. An experienced football referee can do well even when in poor physical condition.
Passage Ten
Toronto: A 300-pound adult Siberian tiger escaped from its four-meter high chain-link-pen at the Toronto Zoo yesterday, on one of the busiest days of the year.
Though no one was hurt, the dangerous animal was separated from the public for a time by nothing more than a four-foot fence. The escape occurred after one of the animal’s handlers left the pen gate open. It prompted a swift response from officials. Staff were sent immediately to arrest the runaway tiger.
General Manager Calvin White told reporters that staff were preparing for the worst. “I ordered a tranquilizer (麻醉剂) gun so we would have tranquilized her, but thankfully we didn’t have to,” Mr. White said. The tiger was successfully led back into its cage after the brief escape.
The incident occurred during the Toronto Zoo’s 28th annual Christmas Treats Walk, where admission is free in return for donations of food that does not easily go bad.
Thousands of people attend each Boxing Day to see the animals fed by their handlers.
1.The tiger escape happened ______.
A. owing to the lack of food B. due to its separation from the public
C. because of the handler’s neglect of duty D. as a result of the damage chain and fence
2. Who is Calvin White?
A. A managerial staff of the Zoo. B. A journalist from National post.
C. A witness of the incident. D. A zoo animal handler.
3. We know from the passage that ______.
A. the tiger escape lasted a whole day
B. the zoo workers planned to shoot the tiger dead
C. the tiger wasn’t kept securely enough from the public
D. the incident took place on the zoo’s anniversary day
4. The Best title for the news report is ______.
A. Pen-Animal B. Zoo Tiger-Wandering Free
C. Siberian Tiger-Dangerous Animal D. Zoo-Dangerous site
Passage Eleven
“I love you, Bob.” “I love you, too, Nancy.” It was 2 a.m. and I was hearing my parents’ voices through the thin wall separating my bedroom from theirs. Their loving words were sweet, touching - and surprising.
My parents married on September 14, 1940, after a brief dating. She was nearing 30 and knew it was time to start a family. The handsome, well-educated man who came by the office where she worked looked like a good bet. He was attracted by her figure, her blue eyes. The romance didn’t last long.
Seeds of difference grew almost immediately. She liked to travel; he hated the thought. He loved golf; she did not. He was a Republican, she a loyal Democrat. They fought at the bridge table, at the dinner table, over money, over the perceived shortcomings of their respective in-laws.
There was a hope that they would change once they retired, and the angry winds did calm somewhat, but what remained changed itself into bright, hard bitterness. “I always thought we’d …” my mother would begin, before launching into a precise listing of my father’s faults. The complaints were recited so often, I can repeat them by heart today. As he listened, my father would say angry threats and curses in a low voice.
It wasn’t the happiest marriage, but as their 60th anniversary approached, my sister and I decided to throw a party. Sixty years was a long time, after all; why not try to make the best of things? We’d provide the cake, the balloons, the toasts, and they’d follow one rule: no fighting.
The agreement was honored. We had a wonderful day. When we thought back, we found it was an important celebration, because soon after, things began to change for my parents.
1.Bob married Nancy because of ______.
A. her nice appearance B. her good education
C. her romantic nature D. her position as an office girl
2. When the writer told the story, the mother was probably ______ years old.
A. 60 B. 70 C. 80 D. 90
3. What do we know about the writer’s parents?
A. Their marriage is a total failure.
B. They had different hobbies.
C. They had serious money problem.
D. They stopped quarrelling after they had children.
4. The purpose for the writer to hold the party is ______.
A. to recall the 60 years’ marriage life of her parents
B. to stop the long fighting between her parents
C. just to celebrate her parents’ 60th anniversary
D. to have a good time for family’s reunion
Passage Twelve
What can you do to recall your dreams more often and interpret them more clearly? The experts offer these suggestions:
Develop an idea. Before you go to sleep, consciously think about a topic or a person you’d like to dream about. Raise a question that’s troubling you and see how your dream responds to it.
Keep track. Next to your bed, place a pen and some paper, or a tape recorder or laptop, to record your dreams as soon as you wake up.
Try to wake up naturally, without the help of an alarm clock or barking dog that can interrupt
your dream cycle. If your schedule doesn’t allow you to sleep in during the week, begin your dream journey on a weekend or during a vacation.
Wake up slowly. For the first moment after you wake up, lie still and keep your eyes closed, because your dream may be connected to your body position while you slept. Try to recall the dream and then store it in your memory by giving it a name like “Late for an exam” or “My Date with Ashley Judd”. When you rise, immediately write down as many images, feelings and impressions as you can.
Connect the dots. To better interpret your dreams, try to make connections between you recalled dreams and recent events. Do you recognize people from the present or past? Can you detect any themes from the dream? Look for patterns over several dreams that might help explain an individual dream.
Change the outcome. If you have nightmares happening again and again that make it difficult to sleep, try to change the endings. Once you wake up from a bad dream, imagine a change in the action to create a more positive outcome. If you are trapped, try to fly. In your dream, you can do what you want!
1.The passage advices you to “wake up slowly” ______.
A.because dreaming usually happens not long before you wake up
B.because sleeping posture may be related to your dream
C.so as not to connect your dreams
D.so as not to have a nightmare
2.The underlined word “rise” (Paragraph5) means “______”.
A. come up B. stand up C. wake up D. get up
3. According to the passage, how can you overcome a nightmare?
A. Try to imagine you are a superman. B. Try to create a new ending of the nightmare.
C. Try to think about some happy things. D. Try to forget the nightmare.
4. In which column of a magazine or newspaper may the article appear?
A. Finance. B. Sports. C. Health. D. Politics.
阅读理解答案：
Passage one 1. D 2. D 3. B 4. A 5. A
Passage two 1. C 2. D 3. A 4. D 5.A
Passage three 1. C 2. B 3. A 4. D 5. B
Passage four 1. A 2. A 3. B 4. C 5. D
Passage five 1. C 2. D 3. D 4. C 5. A
Passage six 1. C 2. B 3. A 4. C 5. B
Passage seven 1. D 2. C 3. D 4. C 5. B
Passage eight 1. D 2. D 3. B 4. A 5. A
Passage nine 1. C 2. A 3. D 4. B 5. A
Passage ten 1. C 2. A 3. C 4. B
Passage eleven 1. A 2. D 3. B 4. B
Passage twelve 1. B 2. D 3. B 4. C
