1、2014高考英语(吉林省通化市)阅读理解练习(2)附答案社会生活类阅读理解In business, theres a speed difference:Its the difference between how important a firms leaders say speed is to their competitive(竞争的) strategy(策略) and how fast the company actually moves. The difference is important regardless of industry and company size. Compa
2、nies fearful of losing their competitive advantage spend much time and money looking for ways to pick up the speed. In our study of 343 businesses, the companies that chose to go, go, go to try to gain an edge ended up with lower sales and operating incomes than those that paused at key moments to m
3、ake sure they were on the right track. Whats more, the firms that“slowed down to speed up” improved their top and bottom lines, averaging 40% higher sales and 52% higher operating incomes over a three-year period. How did they disobey the laws of business physics, taking more time than competitors y
4、et performing better? They thought differently about what“slower” and“faster” mean. Firms sometimes fail to understand the difference between operational speed(moving quickly)and strategic speed(reducing the time it takes to deliver value). Simply increasing the speed of production, for example, may
5、 be one way to try to reduce the speed difference. But that often leads to reduced value over time, in the form of lower-quality products and services. In our study, higher-performing companies with strategic speed always made changes when necessary. They became more open to ideas and discussion. Th
6、ey encouraged new ways of thinking. And they allowed time to look back and learn. By contrast(相比而言), performance suffered at firms that moved fast all the time, paid too much attention to improving efficiency, stuck to tested methods, didnt develop team spirit among their employees, and had little t
7、ime thinking about changes. Strategic speed serves as a kind of leadership. Teams that regularly take time to get things right, rather than plough ahead full bore, are more successful in meeting their business goals. That kind of strategy must come from the top. 1. What does the underlined part “gai
8、n an edge” in Paragraph 2 mean? A. Increase the speed.B. Get an advantage.C. Reach the limit.D. Set a goal.2. The underlined part “the laws of business physics” in Paragraph 3 means.A. spending more time and performing worseB. spending more time and performing betterC. spending less time and perform
9、ing worseD. spending less time and performing better3. What can we learn from the text? A. How fast a firm moves depends on how big it is.B. How competitive a firm is depends on what it produces.C. Firms guided by strategic speed take time to make necessary changes.D. Firms guided by operational spe
10、ed take time to develop necessary team spirit.4. Which could be the best title for the text? A. Improve quality? Serve better. B. Deliver value? Plough ahead. C. Reduce time? Move faster. D. Need speed? Slow down.【参考答案】71.1-4 BDCD 文化教育型阅读理解(二) Millions of people pass through the gates of Disneys ent
11、ertainment parks in California, Florida and Japan each year. What makes these places an almost universal attraction? What makes foreign kings and queens and other important people want to visit these Disney parks? Well, one reason is the way theyre treated once they get there. The people at Disney g
12、o out of their way to serve their “guests”, as they prefer to call them, and to see that they enjoy themselves.All new employees, from vice presidents to parttime workers, begin their employment by attending Disney University and taking “Traditions 1”. Here, they learn about the companys history, ho
13、w it is managed and why it is successful. They are shown how each department relates to the whole. All employees are shown how their part is important in making the park a success.After passing “Traditions 1”, the employees go on to more specialized training for their specific jobs. No detail is mis
14、sed. A simple job like taking tickets requires four eighthour days of training. When one ticket taker was asked why it took so much training for such a simple, ordinary job, he replied, “What happens if someone wants to know where the restrooms are, when the parade starts or what bus to take back to
15、 the campgrounds?We need to know the answers or where to get them quickly. Our constant aim is to help our guests enjoy the party.”Even Disneys managers get involved in the daily management of the park. Every year, the managers leave their desks and business suits and put on special service clothes.
16、 For a full week, the bosses sell hot dogs or ice cream, take tickets or drive the monorail (单轨车), and take up any of the 100 jobs that make the entertainment park come alive. The managers agree that this week helps them to see the companys goals more clearly.All these efforts to serve the public we
17、ll have made Walt Disney Productions famous. Disney is considered by many as the best mass service provider in America or the world. As one longtime business observer once said, “How Disney treats people, communicates with them, and rewards them, is in my view the very reason for his fifty years of
18、successI have watched, very carefully and with great respect and admiration, the theory and practice of selling satisfaction and serving millions of people on a daily basis, successfully. It is what Disney does best.”1. The first day they come to Disney parks, all new employees _Abegin as ticket tak
19、ersBmust learn several jobsCbegin by receiving onthejob trainingDhave already attended Disney University2. The main goal of the Disney employees is to _Alearn all parts of the businessBkeep their important guests happyCbe able to answer all kinds of questionsDsee that their guests enjoy themselves3.
20、 Each year, managers wear special service clothes and work in the park to _Again a better view of the companys objectivesBremind themselves of their beginnings at DisneyCset a good example for employeesDreplace employees on holiday4. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?AParad
21、es are regularly held in Disneys entertainment parks.BDisney attracts people almost from all over the world.CTourists learn the history of Disney in its entertainment parks.DDisneys managers are able to do almost all kinds of work in the Disney parks.5. This passage is mainly about _Ahow Disney empl
22、oyees are trainedBthe history and traditions of the Disney enterprisesCthe importance Disney places on serving people wellDwhy Disney enterprises make a lot of money【参考答案解析】A【要点综述】 本文主要介绍了迪斯尼公司通过严格的训练管理和优质的服务吸引了来自世界各地的人们。1C从第二段“All new employees, from vice presidents to parttime workers, begin their
23、 employment by attending Disney University and taking Traditions 1.”和后面所讲述的训练情况可知,每一个新职员必须进行工作培训。2D根据文中第三段最后一句话“Our constant aim is to help our guests enjoy the party.”可知,迪斯尼乐园员工的目的是为了让客人过得高兴。3A根据第四段“Every year, the managers leave their desks and business suits and put on special service clothes.”和这
24、一段的最后一句话“The managers agree that this week helps them to see the companys goals more clearly.”可知,经理们每年穿上特殊的工作服的目的是为了更好地认清迪斯尼乐园的创办目标。4C通读全文可知,选项C是错误的,因为游客到迪斯尼的目的不是为了学习它的历史,而是进行娱乐活动。5C整篇文章主要介绍了迪斯尼公司通过严格的训练管理和优质的服务吸引了来自世界各地的人们。社会生活类As the railroads and the highways shaped the American West in the past
25、centuries, a new electrical generating (发电) and transmission (输送) system for the 21st century will leave a lasting mark on the West, for better or worse. Much of the real significance of railroads and highways is not in their direct physical effect on the scenery, but in the ways that they affect th
26、e surrounding community. The same is true of big solar plants and the power lines that will be laid down to move electricity around. The 19th century saw land grants (政府拨地) offered to railroad companies to build the transcontinental railroads, leaving public land in between privately owned land. In
27、much of the West, some of the railroad sections were developed while others remained undeveloped, and in both cases the landownership has presented unique challenges to land management. With the completion of the interstate highway system, many of the small towns, which sprang up as railway stops an
28、d developed well, have lost their lifeblood and died. Big solar plants and their power lines will also have effects far beyond their direct footprint in the West. This is not an argument against building them. We need alternative energy badly, and to really take advantage of it we need to be able to
29、 move electricity around far more readily than we can now. So trade-offs will have to be made. Some scenic spots will be sacrificed. Some species (物种) will be forced to move, or will be carefully moved to special accommodations. Deals will be struck to reduce the immediate effects. The lasting effec
30、ts of these trade-offs are another matter. The 21st century development of the American West as an ideal place for alternative energy is going to throw off a lot of power and money in the region. There are chances for that power and money to do a lot of good. But it is just as likely that they will
31、be spent wastefully and will leave new problems behind, just like the railroads and the highways. The money set aside in negotiated trade-offs and the institutions that control it will shape the West far beyond the immediate footprint of power plants and transmission lines. So lets remember the effe
32、cts of the railroads and the highways as we construct these new power plants in the West. 1. What was the problem caused by the construction of the railways? A. Small towns along the railways became abandoned.B. Some railroad stops remained underused.C. Land in the West was hard to manage.D. Land gr
33、ants went into private hands.2. What is the major concern in the development of alternative energy according to thelast two paragraphs? A. The transmission of power. B. The use of money and power.C. The conservation of solar energy.D. The selection of an ideal place.3. What is the authors attitude t
34、owards building solar plants? A. Cautious.B. Approving.C. Doubtful. D. Disapproving.4. Which is the best title for the passage? A. How the Railways Have Affected the WestB. How Solar Energy Could Reshape the WestC. How the Effects of Power Plants Can Be ReducedD. How the Problems of the Highways Hav
35、e Been Settled【参考答案】78.1-4 CBAB 文化教育型阅读理解(一)-CSome American parents might think their children need better education to compete with China and other countries. But how much do the parents themselves need to change?A new book called Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua has caused a debate abou
36、t cultural differences in parenting. Ms Chua is a professor at the Yale Law School in New Haven, Connecticut, and the mother of two daughters. She was raised in the American Midwest by immigrant Chinese parents.In the Chinese culture, the tiger represents strength and power. In her book, Ms Chua wri
37、tes about how she demanded excellence from her daughters. For example, she threatened to burn her daughters stuffed animals unless they played a piece of music perfectly. She would insult her daughters if they failed to meet her expectations.Ms Chua told NBC television that she had a clear list of w
38、hat her daughters, Sophia and Louisa, were not permitted to do, such as attending a sleepover, having a play date, watching TV or playing computer games and getting any grade less than an A.Many people have criticized Amy Chua. Some say her parenting methods were abusive(辱骂的). She even admits that h
39、er husband, who is not Chinese, sometimes objected to her parenting style. But she says that was the way her parents raised her and her three sisters.Ms Chua makes fun of her own extreme style of parenting. She says she eased some of the pressure after her younger daughter rebelled and shouted, “I h
40、ate my life! I hate you!”Ms Chua says she decided to retreat when it seemed like there was a risk that she might lose her daughter. But she also says American parents often have low expectations of their childrens abilities.“One of the biggest differences I see between Western and Chinese parenting
41、is that Chinese parents assume strength rather than fragility(脆弱)”Stacey DeBroff has written four books on parenting. “I think that the stirring of intense debate has to do with what it means to be a successful parent and what it means to be a successful child.”Ms DeBroff says Amy Chuas parenting st
42、yle is not limited to Chinese families. She says it represents a traditional way of parenting among immigrants seeking a better future for their children.But she also sees a risk. When children have no time to be social or to follow their own interests, they might not develop other skills that they
43、need to succeed in life. Stacey DeBroff advises parents to develop their own style of parenting and not just repeat the way they were raised.1. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE about American parents?ASome of them expect their children to be competitive.BSome of them need to
44、educate themselves better.CThey should learn from Chinese parents.DThey care their kids more than Chinese parents.2. What can we learn about Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother?AIt is a list of things for children to do.BIt is a book about cultural differences.CIt is a heated debate about parenting.DIt
45、is a book about how to raise children.3. Based on the passage, Ms Chuas parenting is exposed to the following EXCEPT_Apressure BmanagementCrecreation Dcompromise4. What does the underlined word “retreat” in Paragraph 7 mean?AGive in. BPass away.CCry out. DGo ahead.5. According to Ms DeBroff, _AAmy C
46、huas parenting style should be banned(禁止) in ChinaBAmy Chua should stop to adopt American parenting stylesCAmy Chuas parenting style should be adjusted if possibleDThere isnt any advantages in Amy Chuas parenting style【参考答案解析】C【要点综述】 本文是对虎妈教育子女的讨论,说明了东西方在教育方面所存在的巨大差异。1A文章第一句“Some American parents mi
47、ght think their children need better education to compete with China and other countries.”说明很多的美国父母也希望自己的孩子有竞争力。故A正确。2D第二段“A new book called Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua has caused a debate about cultural differences in parenting.”说明这本书是关于子女教育的。故D正确。3C文章“were not permitted to do, such
48、 as attending a sleepover, having a play date, watching TV or playing computer games, and getting any grade less than an A”和“She says she eased some of the pressure after her younger daughter rebelled and shouted, I hate my life! I hate you!”以及“Ms Chua says she decided to retreat”说明在这种教育里,有管理、压力和妥协,但是唯独没有娱乐,因为她对孩子的要求很高。故C正确。4A由画线词后的“when it seemed like there was a risk that she might lose her daughter.”可推出retreat意为“退让”,A项意思与其相近。5C由文章最后一段“Stacey DeBroff advises parents to develop their own style of parenting and not just repeat the way they were raised.”可知答案为C。