1、湖北省2012高考英语二轮复习专题训练：阅读理解（35）阅读下列短文，从每篇短文后所给各题的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。 AMr. Whitson taught sixth-grade science. On the first day of class, he gave us a lecture about an animal called the Cattywampus, a nocturnal (夜间活动的) animal that was wiped out during the Ice Age. He passed around a skull as he talke
2、d. We all took notes and later had a quiz.When he returned my paper, I was shocked. There was a big red “X” through each of my answers. There had to be some mistakes! I had written down exactly what Mr. Whitson said. Then I realized that everyone in the class had failed. What had happened? Very simp
3、le, Mr. Whitson explained. He had made up all that story about the Cattywampus. The information in our notes was, therefore, incorrect. Did we expect credit for incorrect answers? Needless to say, we were outraged. What kind of text was this? And what kind of teacher is he?We should have figured it
4、out, Mr. Whitson said. After all, at the very moment he was passing around the Cattywampus skull (in truth, a cats), hadnt he been telling us that no trace of the animal remained? He had described its amazing night vision, the color of its fur and any number of other facts he couldnt have known, he
5、had given the animal a ridiculous name, and we still hadnt been suspicious. The zeroes on our papers would be recorded in his grade book, he said. And they were. Mr. Whitson said he hoped we would learn something from this experience. He told us not to let our minds go to sleep, and to speak up if w
6、e ever thought he or the textbook was wrong.We carded our new skepticism (怀疑主义) into all our classes. This caused problems for the other teachers, who werent used to being challenged. Our history teacher would be lecturing about something, and then there would be clearings of the throat and someone
7、would say “Cattywampus”.If Im ever asked to propose a solution to the crisis in our schools, it will be Mr. Whitson. I havent made any great scientific discoveries, but Mr. Whitsons class gave me and my classmates something just as important: the courage to look people in the eye and tell them they
8、are wrong. He also showed us that you can have fun doing it.1The best title for this passage would probably be _. A. Cattywampus B. An interesting and unforgettable LessonC. A new teaching methodD. The Best Teacher I Ever Had2The underlined word outraged in the second paragraph here means _. A. angr
9、y B. excitedC. disappointedD. discouraged3From this passage, we know that Mr. Whitson was a teacher _. A. difficult to get along with B. creative in teachingC. fond of being challenged D. full of energy and enthusiasm 4We can infer from the passage that _. A. teachers and textbooks are not always ri
10、ghtB. Cattywampus could be found in the Ice AgeC. the history teacher didnt like to be challengedD. Mr. Whitson always made a bad impression on his studentsBWhen it comes to your skin, there is an extremely important fact that you must keep in mind: Your skin is the largest organ of your body. As an
11、 obvious result, skin health and maintenance(保养) is vital. Your skin does everything from protecting you from the elements to assisting you with breathing. Your skin keeps your body hydrated(含水的) and regulates your bodys temperature. In the end, this really is only the beginning of all of the variou
12、s vital functions that your skin provides to you.Despite the extreme importance of a persons skin, the reality is that many people simply do not pay much attention to issues relating to the health of their skin. With that in mind, there are some prime tips and pointers that you must always keep in m
13、ind when it comes to the health and protection of your skin.Protection against harmful rays from the sun is one of the most important steps that you need to take. With this in mind it is vitally important that you make certain you use solid protection when you go out into the sun.Your diet also has
14、a direct effect on the health of your skin. The most important aspect of your diet in relation to the health of your skin is to make certain that you eat a proper amount of food items that contain the proteins and nutrients necessary for cellular maintenance, repair and regeneration(再生). With this i
15、n mind, your skin cells actually rely on a sufficient amount of carbohydrates.Water is also important to the Health of your skin. While you certainly have heard it before, it actually is true that you should drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of fresh and pure water every day. There are many healt
16、h benefits you can get from drinking water daily, including maintaining healthy skin.Finally, when it comes to the health of your skin today and into the future you should avoid smoking all together. In addition, you should drink alcohol only in moderation. Both smoking and too much alcohol consumpt
17、ion can negatively affect the health of your skin in significant ways. 5The underlined word elements in the first paragraph probably refers to _. A. bad weatherB. a favorable environment C. all the chemicalsD. the cells making up the skin6The writer lists some of the functions of skin in the beginni
18、ng part to _. A. make an analysis of the main topic of the passage B. draw readers attention to the main topic of the passage C. give a brief introduction to the main topic of the passage D. give the readers a summary of the main topic of the passage7Which of the following does not help maintain the
19、 health of skin? A. Drinking alcohol in moderation. B. Including adequate carbohydrates in diet. C. Using solid protection when exposed to the sun. D. Drinking enough fresh and pure water every day.8The most suitable title of the passage may be _. A. An essential organ of our bodyB. Tips for soft an
20、d smooth skinC. Habits and skin healthD. How to keep our skin healthyCWhen our son, Alex, was young, he hated to travel. We endured refusals to visit one more museum, even if it was the Louvre. We coped with a child who resisted even a taste of onion soup in Paris and who insisted he would like noth
21、ing more than ordering room service at the hotel and watching TV.Over the years, we have come up with several hard-earned but realistic strategies to help kids cope on long-distance trips.First, we recognize that some children have trouble adjusting to new environments, food, time zones and schedule
22、s. So, in advance of a trip to England, we gave our son a taste of the new culture by making shepherds pie for supper. He loved the mashed potatoes, chopped meat and brown gravy（肉汁）. For Italy, we sampled homemade pesto（香蒜沙司） served over linguine（扁面条）. For Amsterdam, I cooked up a pot of comforting
23、pea soup and baked a delicious apple pancake called pannekoeken. Then, when we traveled to these places, he ate these foods and they seemed like a taste of home. In addition to food, we always sample the culture beforehand by reading books and renting movies from the countries we will be visiting. F
24、or Italy, the book Italian Folktales by Italo Calvino and the films Johnny Stecchino, Cinema Paradiso, and Il Postino gave our son a glimpse of the Italian way of life. For Britain, we rented Mr. Bean and Billy Elliot, and enjoyed stories by J.R.R. Tolkien and E. Nesbit. For Amsterdam, he finished T
25、he Diary of Anne Frank. Before we leave home, we also ask Alex to go through our tour books and pick out activities that appeal to him. He was excited about visiting the London Dungeon and the Imperial War Museum, and taking a ride in the London Eye. They turned out to be big hits. Because Alexs pre
26、ferences were given equal attention, he was more tolerant of his parents selections, such as visiting Charters Cathedral and the Van Gogh Museum.Weve also learned the hard way that dragging our son out of bed early in the morning ,thus making him grumpy all day. Now that he is a teenager, we let him
27、 sleep in while we sip coffee at a caf, work out at the hotel gym, or take a long walk. This makes our time together much more enjoyable9According to the writer, parents are advised to _.A. cook childrens favorite food B. postpone traveling until the kids are in collegeC. allow their kids a ride in
28、the London Eye D. take childrens interest and preferences into account10Cinema Paradiso and Il Postino are mentioned as _.A. particular desires of children B. an approach to interest the future possible visit C. highly appreciated films for tourists D. comfortable activities children could pick out1
29、1The underlined word “grumpy” in the last paragraph is similar in meaning to _.A. bad-tempered B. tolerant C. energetic D. nervous12Which of the following might serve as a possible title for this passage?A. Kids and Parents. B. Joys of Traveling.C. Whether You Go or Not. D. How to motivate Kids to t
30、ravelDLast Sunday I made a visit to some new neighbors down the block. No specific purpose in mind, just an opportunity to sit at the kitchen table, have some tea and chat. As I did so, it occurred to me how rare the Sunday visit has become.When I was a kid in the New Jersey of the 1960s, Sunday vis
31、its were routine. Most stores were closed, almost nobody worked, and the highways, as a result, were not the desperate steeplechases（障碍赛跑） they have become today. My family normally traveled eight city blocks to the home of my grandmotherthe same house my father was raised in, where adults would sit
32、 on the front porch and chat while we children played hide-and-seek. The Sunday visit was something to desire strongly. It was the repetition to church, our reward for an hour of devotion, an opportunity to take advantage of the fact that Dad was not at work, we were not in school, and there were no
33、 chores that couldnt wait until Monday. Sunday was, indeed, different from all the other days of the week, because everyone seemed to be on the same schedule, which means that there was one day when everyone seemed to have time for everybody else.Sunday as a day of rest is, or was, so deeply rooted
34、in the culture that its surprising to consider that, in a short span of time, it has almost entirely lost this association. In my childhood, it was assumed that everyone would either be home or visiting someone elses home on Sunday. But now the question is, “What do you plan to DO this Sunday?” The
35、answer can range from going to the mall to participating in a road race to jetting to Montreal for lunch. If one were to respond, “Im making a Sunday visit to family,” such an answer would feel sepia-toned, an echo from another era.I suppose I should be grateful to live in Maine, a state of small to
36、wns, abundant land and tight relationships. Even though folks work as hard here as they do anywhere else, the states powerfully rural cast（特质）still harbors at least remnants of the ethic of yesterdays America, where people had to depend on one another in the face of economic vagaries（反复无常的情况）and a c
37、hallenging environment. 13The writers general impression of the Sunday in the past was a day when _.A. everyone was paying a visit to some relative far awayB. everyone seemed to be free and could have some leisureC. Dad was not at work while Mom was busy cleaning the houseD. nearly every adult would
38、 go to church and children were not at school14In the fourth paragraph, the writer compares the response “Im making a Sunday visit to family” to an echo from another era because _. A. people nowadays prefer staying at home on Sunday B. such answers are rarely heard in our modern society C. people in
39、 the city dislike being disturbed on Sunday D. visiting someone on Sunday might take a lot of time15From the last paragraph we may infer that _.A. people in Maine suffer more from economic depression and the changed environmentB. people in Maine has abandoned their tradition and lived an absolute ne
40、w lifeC. land in Maine is short, thus the relationship between people is tenseD. people in Maine always help each other when they are in need 16Which word we may use to describe the writers attitude towards the Sunday today? A. Unsatisfied. B. Anxious. C. Treasured. D. Teased. EFarmers may not be ab
41、le to prevent natural disasters, but they can at least try their best to reduce losses. For example, they can plant crops that are more likely to survive extreme weather. In north-central Vietnam, people with small farms do not plant rice between September and December. Seasonal rains might destroy
42、the rice. So instead, they plant lotus seeds on raised beds. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization says the lotus seeds bring a good price in local markets. Farmers in the Philippines are showing new interest in crops like winged beans, string beans, arrowroot and cassava. The Asian D
43、isaster Preparedness Center says traditional crops like these can survive the fierce storms that often strike the islands. The United Nations says some African farmers grow bambara groundnuts during long dry periods. The seeds of this drought-resistant plant can be boiled for eating or for making fl
44、our. In some parts of the world, farmers grow vetiver grass. Researchers in Thailand wrote about vetiver in 2007 in the journal Science Asia. They noted that the grass can absorb and control the spread of harmful waste waters, like those from pig farms.Agricultural expert and author William Rivera s
45、ays vetiver resists difficult conditions. It reduces damage from heavy rains. And vetiver planted on earthen dams may strengthen them against breaks and flooding. William Rivera also speaks approvingly of alfalfa. Its deep roots can find and take up groundwater. Those roots also help hold the soil a
46、gainst winds. And alfalfa can be a valuable food source for animals.The deep and extensive roots of sunflowers make them another good candidate for resisting extreme conditions. The tall plants have brightly colored heads that provide seeds and oil. North Dakota grows more hectares of sunflowers tha
47、n any other American state. But North Dakota is better known as a top wheat producing state. Hans Kandel works at the North Dakota State University Extension Service in Fargo. He says farmers in some parts of North Dakota plant wheat that is ready to harvest in only about one hundred days. That way
48、it can grow before the hot, dry months of July through September.17The underlined part “bring a good price in local markets” in the 2nd paragraph implies that lotus seeds _.A. can bring the local farmers more profitB. will satisfy the needs of the local peopleC. are what the local farmers eat every
49、dayD. dont sell very well because of their high prices18Vetiver grass is planted because it can _.A. be a valuable food source for animalsB. survive the fierce storms in summerC. provide seeds and oilD. be useful in many aspects19From the last paragraph we can see that the farmers in North Dakota _.
50、A. are not hardworking so they are suffering from povertyB. are good at taking advantage of the weather conditionsC. dont have enough knowledge of weather and farmingD. plant more sunflowers than wheat 20From this passage we may safely conclude that _.A. weather conditions are always decisive factors in agriculture B. some crops can help farmers to fight against extreme weatherC. the species of the world are changing quicklyD. agriculture is developing fast in the world1-4 DABA 5-8 ABAD 9-12 DBAD 13-16 BBDA 17-20 ADBB高考资源网独家精品资源，欢迎下载！高考资源网Ks5uK&S%5#UKs5uKs%U高考资源网高考资源网高考资源网