1、Unit 2 The United Kingdom Language points. 阅读理解AGeorge Gershwin, born in 1898, was one of Americas greatest composers. He published his first song when he was eighteen years old. During the next twenty years he wrote more than five hundred songs. Many of Gershwins songs were first written for musica
2、l plays performed in theaters in New York City. These plays were a popular form of entertainment in the 1920s and 1930s. Many of his songs have remained popular as ever. Over the years they have been sung and played in every possible wayfrom jazz to country. In the 1920s there was a debate in the Un
3、ited States about jazz music. Could jazz, some people asked, be considered serious music? In 1924 jazz musician and orchestra leader Paul Whiteman decided to organize a special concert to show that jazz was serious music. Gershwin agreed to compose something for the concert before he realized he had
4、 just a few weeks to do it. And in that short time, he composed a piece for piano and orchestra which he called Rhapsody in Blue. Gershwin himself played the piano at the concert. The audience were thrilled when they heard his music. It made him world-famous and showed that jazz music could be both
5、serious and popular. In 1928, Gershwin went to Paris. He applied to study composition with the well-known musician Nadia Boulanger, but she rejected him. She was afraid that classical study would ruin his jazz-influenced style. While there, Gershwin wrote An American in Paris. When it was first perf
6、ormed, critics were divided over the music. Some called it happy and full of life, to others it was silly and boring. But it quickly became popular in Europe and the United States. It still remains one of his most famous works. Gershwin died in 1937, just days after doctors learned he had brain canc
7、er. He was only thirty-nine years old. Newspapers all over the world reported his death on their front pages. People mourned the loss of the man and all the music he might have still written. 【语篇概述】本文主要介绍了美国著名的作曲家George Gershwin(乔治格什温)的生平事迹。1. Many of Gershwins musical works were. A. written about N
8、ew YorkersB. composed for Paul WhitemanC. played mainly in the countrysideD. performed in various ways【解析】选D。细节理解题。根据第二段最后一句可知Gershwin的音乐作品被以各种可能的方式演唱、演奏。2. What do we know about the concert organized by Whiteman? A. It attracted more people to theaters. B. It proved jazz could be serious music. C.
9、It made Gershwin leader of the orchestra. D. It caused a debate among jazz musicians. 【解析】选B。细节理解题。根据第三段第三句和最后一句可知Whiteman组织的这场音乐会证明了爵士乐是严肃的音乐, 在当时也受到了人们的欢迎。3. What do we learn from the last paragraph? A. Many of Gershwins works were lost. B. The death of Gershwin was widely reported. C. A concert w
10、as held in memory of Gershwin. D. Brain cancer research started after Gershwins death. 【解析】选B。推理判断题。根据最后一段第三句可知Gershwin死后, 各大报纸头版头条对他进行了报道。4. Which of the following best describes Gershwin? A. Talented and productive. B. Serious and boring. C. Popular and unhappy. D. Friendly and honest. 【解析】选A。观点态度
11、题。根据第一段可知Gershwin是一位伟大的美国作曲家, 他一生写了500多首曲子。这说明他很有才华, 同时, 他也是一位多产的作曲家。BMany of the worlds countries have reached or are approaching zero population growth(ZPG). Nearly all such lands are economically well developed. They include much of Europe(including Russia), the United States, Canada, Japan, and
12、Australia. As the rate of natural increase(RNI)declines, two things happen. First, the population begins to decline if the loss is not balanced by immigration. Second, a countrys population ages because there are fewer births. Is achieving ZPG good or bad? What happens when a countrys population beg
13、ins to drop? Many people, after all, believe that population decline is a good thing. But is it good for everyone? Does everyone agree? An aging population can create many problems. Senior citizens require more health care and medical attention. Rather than paying into retirement programs, they begi
14、n to draw from their pensions. In the US, the Social Security program, according to many experts, will be used up by 2018. It will pay out more money than it takes in. Additionally, a great number of jobs go begging in search of people willing or entry level positions that pay low wages. With an abl
15、e to do them. Many of these jobs are aging population, who will fill them? At the other extreme, some positions require a large number of training and highly specialized skills. Who will fill these positions as retirees leave the workforce? The answer to the problem of declining and aging population
16、 is simple: increased migration. Today many people, particularly those from less developed countries, are migrating in search of employment. Many are willing to take jobs that cannot(or will not)be filled by the domestic population. Others are well educated and highly skilled. Both groups contribute
17、 to a countrys economy progress in many ways. Further, they add to the richness of a countrys culture. Of greatest importance, perhaps, is the fact that they have become absolutely necessary to the economy of many lands. As you can see, for many countries and for most immigrants, migration is a win-
18、win situation. 【语篇概述】本文主要介绍了解决老龄化问题的一个可行性方案: 增加移民。5. In the writers view, which of the following statements is TRUE? A. Not everyone agrees that achieving ZPG is absolutely good. B. Achieving ZPG is every countrys aim in spite of its side effects. C. Achieving ZPG is bad for senior citizens. D. Achi
19、eving ZPG is good for employment. 【解析】选A。细节理解题。根据文章第二、三段可知选A。6. According to the passage, the best way to solve the problem of declining and aging population is_. A. to improve the health care systemB. to increase RNIC. to increase employmentD. to increase migration【解析】选D。细节理解题。据文章最后一段的The answer to
20、 the problem of declining and aging population is simple: increased migration可推断解决人口老龄化问题的最好办法就是增加移民。7. The main idea of the last paragraph is_. A. the advantages of increased migrationB. the problem of declining and aging populationC. how to increase migrationD. some ways to enrich a countrys cultu
21、re【解析】选A。主旨大意题。通读最后一段, 并根据该段的第一句话The answer to the problem of declining and aging population is simple: increased migration. 和最后一句话As you can see, for many countries and for most immigrants, migration is a win-win situation可知该段的大意是增加移民的好处。. 完形填空Mrs Jones was over eighty, but she still drove her old
22、car like a woman half her age. She loved driving very fast, and was1of the fact that she had never, in her thirty-five years of driving, been2for a driving offence(犯规). Then one day she nearly3her record. A police car4her, and the policeman in it saw her5a red light without stopping. Of course, she
23、was stopped. It seemed6that she would be punished. 7Mrs Jones came up to the judge, he looked at her seriously and said that she was8old to drive a car, and that the9why she had not stopped at the red10was most probably that her eyes had become weak11old age, so that she had not seen it. When the ju
24、dge had finished what he was12, Mrs Jones opened the big handbag she was13and took out her sewing. Without saying a word, she14a needle with a very small eye, and threaded it at her first attempt. When she had15done this, she took the thread out of the needle and handed16the needle and the thread to
25、 the judge, saying, “Now it is your17. I suppose you drive a car, and that you are quite sure about your own eyesight. ”The judge took the18and tried to thread it. After half a dozen tries, he had still not succeeded. The case against Mrs Jones was19, and her record20unbroken. 【语篇概述】本文讲述了80多岁的琼斯夫人开车
26、的事件。1. A. goodB. proudC. hardD. different【解析】选B。固定搭配题。句意: 她喜欢开车很快并且以她35年开车以来从未因违反交通法规被惩罚而感到自豪。be proud of属于固定搭配, 意为“对感到自豪”。2. A. finishedB. quitC. punishedD. lost【解析】选C。词义辨析题。be punished for因为而受惩罚。3. A. keptB. wonC. missedD. lost【解析】选D。逻辑推理题。上文说她35年来从未违反交通法规, 下文又说警察看见她闯红灯了, 因此本句句意为: 然后, 一天她差点失去了35年从
27、未违规的纪录, 故选D。4. A. watchedB. followedC. searchedD. ran after【解析】选B。逻辑推理题。由下文车里的警察看见她闯红灯可知本句表示一辆警车密切注视着她, follow在这里的意思是“注视, 密切注意”, 故选B。5. A. passB. goC. runD. rush【解析】选A。词语辨析题。句意: 车里的警察看见她过红灯时没停。pass穿过, 故答案选A。go去, run跑, rush冲, 都是不及物动词。6. A. sureB. indeedC. certainD. perhaps【解析】选C。固定搭配题。句意: 似乎很确定她要被惩罚。
28、“It+系动词+certain+that从句”属于固定句型, 表示“是确定无疑的”。7. A. BeforeB. WhileC. UntilD. When【解析】选D。逻辑推理题。句意: 当琼斯夫人走到法官面前时, 法官严肃地看着她说她年龄太大了以至于不能开车了。又因came up to是非延续性动词, 故不能用while, 只能用when。8. A. soB. veryC. tooD. quite【解析】选C。固定搭配题。too. . . to. . . 是“太而不能”的意思, 故选C。9. A. causeB. reasonC. matterD. trouble【解析】选B。词语辨析题。句
29、意: 并且法官还说她没在红灯时停下最有可能的原因是由于年龄大她的视力变弱了, 结果她没看见红灯。这里是why引导的定语从句, 故用the reason作其先行词。10. A. signB. lampC. lightD. one【解析】选C。词汇复现题。由上文可知琼斯夫人是在红灯处没停下来, 故选C。lamp常指专用照明灯, 故不符合题意。11. A. withB. becauseC. forD. of【解析】选A。词语辨析题。由句意知此处表示原因, with常表示自身所具有的内在原因, 相当于because of; for常表示补充的外在的原因。12. A. speakingB. saying
30、C. talkingD. telling【解析】选B。词汇复现题。承接上文的said, 这里表示“法官说完了话”。13. A. holdingB. gettingC. carryingD. bringing【解析】选C。词语辨析题。句意: 琼斯夫人打开了她随身携带的大手提包, 拿出了针线。carry携带; hold抓住, 握住; get得到; bring带来。14. A. tookB. broughtC. pickedD. chose【解析】选D。逻辑推理题。句意: 没说一句话, 她选择了一根具有非常小的针眼的针, 第一次尝试就把线穿了过去。choose普通用词, 侧重根据个人意愿和判断从众多
31、的对象中进行选择, 着重被选者的优点; pick口语用词, 多指从个人角度仔细挑选, 也含任意挑选之意; take带走; bring带来。由语境知选D。15. A. almostB. hardlyC. successfullyD. hopefully【解析】选C。逻辑推理题。由上文知琼斯夫人成功地把线穿到了针上, 故选C。16. A. bothB. allC. neitherD. either【解析】选A。固定搭配题。句意: 当她成功地做完这件事时, 她把线从针上抽了出来并且把这两样东西都交给了法官。故用both. . . and. . . “两者都”。17. A. timeB. turnC.
32、 chanceD. job【解析】选B。固定搭配题。句意: 现在轮到你了。it is ones turn轮到某人了, 故选B。18. A. threadB. glassesC. recordD. needle【解析】选D。词汇复现题。句意: 法官拿过针, 尽力穿线。上一段中两次提到needle, 结合本句句意可知应选D。19. A. dismissedB. passedC. settledD. studied【解析】选A。逻辑推理题。那位法官试了六次都没有成功, 因此, 琼斯夫人的案子解除了。dismiss“解除, 解散”, 符合句意。20. A. becameB. keptC. remainedD. seemed【解析】选C。逻辑推理题。文章第二段说那一天琼斯夫人几乎要失去她的纪录了, 而最后的结果是她的案子解除了, 故她的纪录仍然没被打破。remain仍然, 保持, 符合句意。
