Fast Reading Materials for Senior Grade
I．完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从36—55各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳答案，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
If you didn’t know anything about it, a place with a name like the Dead Sea might not sound very attractive. But the reality is that the Dead Sea is a very 36 place.
The main thing is the salt. I had 37 a little about the place, so I knew the Dead Sea is so 38 that it’s hard for 39 to live in it, which is 40 it’s called the Dead Sea. And I knew that it’s seven times as salty as the ocean.
I was eager to 41 there, because the salt does more than keep the sea fish-free, it makes you 42 like you’re full of air. 43 my friends and I got tired of floating like soap bubbles, we put big rocks between our legs. The rocks helped us 44 lower in the water. We thought we looked really funny, 45 then we noticed something that wasn’t so funny. Salt stings (刺痛). Even my friend’s 46 face began to hurt, so we 47 the Dead Sea as fast as we could. And that’s when we found the 48 .
The mud by the Dead Sea is 49 many minerals — nor just salt — and these minerals are good for your 50 . So people 51 in the mud, like puppies (小狗) playing in the grass. We 52 every inch of our bodies with black, sticky mud 53 began to laugh very hard. And we 54 , so we can always remember how we look 55 our suits of mud.
36.A. common B. special C. beautiful D. dangerous
37.A. read B. seen C. heard D. found
38.A. strange B. wide C. deep D. salty
39.A. plants B. animals C. anything D. everything
40.A. how B. why C. because D. thus
41.A. live B. swim C. visit D. travel
42.A. float B. lie C. sleep D. rise
43.A. Before B. Until C. After D. While
44.A. sing B. dance C. drop D. sink
45.A. as B. but C. since D. even
46.A. frozen B. shocked C. lost D. shaved
47.A. jumped into B. dived into C. got out of D. looked out of
48.A. fish B. water C. rock D. mud
49.A. lack of B. full of C. bad for D. harmful to
50.A. breath B. stomach C. taste D. health
51.A. roll B. dive C. drink D. cry
52.A. struck B. moved C. covered D. discovered
53.A. while B. and C. still D. or
54.A. watched games B. made notes C. walked around D. took pictures
55.A. over B. in C. below D. with
II．阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳答案，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
L’HAY-LES-ROSES, France: Three teenage girls admitted starting a fire in a suburban Paris housing project over the weekend that killed 17 people, including three children, police said yesterday. A fourth girl was held yesterday morning.
The fire in a 19-storey building south of Paris was the third fatal blaze in the Paris area in nine days. The death toll rose to 16 after a man died late Sunday in a hospital, where seven others were being treated for serious injuries, police said.
Three teenagers taken in for questioning on Sunday admitted having started the fire for fun, police said. Two of the suspects were 18-year-old, the other was 16, police said. Further details were not available.
Witnesses claimed to have seen a group of youths who lived in the building start the fire, said Patrick Seve, mayor of the town of L’HAY-LES-ROSES, near Orly airport, where the building was located.
The firs is believed to have broken out in the lobby (门厅) of the building before raging up a stairwell at least three floors. Some residents jumped from windows as the fire spread through the building’s entrance.
Authorities were investigating possible criminals in an August 26 fire that killed 14 African children and three adults in a Paris apartment building. Three days later, another fire killed seven in a building.
Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy suggested on French television on Sunday night that copycats (盲目模仿者) were at work. “Each time there is a new story, sometimes that gives ideas to people who then turn into criminals,” Sarkozy said, promising severe punishment for anyone found guilty of arson (纵火).
56.What can we learn from the first two paragraphs？
a) Three girls were caught setting fire to a building.
b) The fourth girl wasn’t present when the fire broke out.
c) All the people lost their lives before police came.
d) Paris was troubled by fire during that period.
57.Why did the teenagers start the fires？
a) They were interested in playing with fire.
b) They wanted to make fun of their parents.
c) They were not satisfied with the surroundings.
d) They wanted to warm themselves.
58.From the fourth and fifth paragraphs we know that ________.
a) the witnesses must have put out the fire
b) the lobby of the building was covered with wood.
c) the witnesses were familiar with the teenagers
d) the residents shouldn’t have jumped from windows
59.What the Minister said in the last paragraph means that ________.
a) he doesn’t like to listen to new stories
b) he has no time to write new stories
c) teenagers often have ideas to turn into criminals
d) teenagers may do the same as others have done
B
Preschoolers pretending to shop for Barbie doll’s social evening were more likely to choose cigarettes if their parents smoked, and wine or beer if their parents drank, a study found.
Researchers observing the children’s play found that the ones who watched PG (parent guidance) or R-rated movies (17岁以下青少年非家长陪同不得观看的电影) also were more likely to choose alcohol for Barbie.
A 4-year-old girl show Barbie-sized tobacco in the pretend store and said: “I need this for my man. A man needs cigarettes.”
A 6-year-old boy offered the doll cigarettes and said: “Honey, have some smokes. Do you like smoke？I like smokes.”
Parents who watched from behind a one-way mirror were surprised by their children’s choices, said study co-author Mediline Dalton of Dartmouth Medical School.
“It’s a very unhappy experience to be a parent and see your children imitate your behavior,” she said.
“The study suggests that prevention efforts should target younger children,” Dalton said.
The study included 120 children, aged 2- to 6. An adult researcher led a standardized play activity in which each child, acting as a Barbie or Ken doll, shopped for a visiting friend.
A store stocked with 133 miniature (缩样) items gave the children choices — including meat, fruit, vegetables, snacks, non-alcohol drinks, cigarettes, beer and wine.
The children could “buy” anything they wanted by filling a small grocery cart and taking it to a small checkout counter.
Twenty-eight per cent of the children bought cigarettes, and 61 per cent bought alcohol. The children whose parents smoked were almost four times more likely to buy cigarettes. The children whose parents drink at least monthly were three times more likely to buy alcohol.
60.It can be inferred from the first two paragraphs that ________.
a) preschoolers enjoy more cigarettes than their parents’
b) Barbie doll’s social evening is popular among the children
c) parents shouldn’t allow their children to see films
d) children who like Barbie can see any films by themselves
61.Parents who watched their children’s choices were surprised because ________.
a) their children had learned so much about society
b) their children had spent so much money on cigarettes
c) their children could treat their friends so nicely
d) their children had become so interested in smoking
62.The study, as the text shows, was conducted ________.
A. in a secret way B. by children themselves
C. through activities D. in a shopping mall
63.The last paragraph shows us ________.
A. the result of the study B. the difficulties of the study
C. the hobbies of the parents D. the hobbies of their children
C
Ten years of using a mobile phone results in no increased risk of a tumor (肿瘤) in the nerve connecting the ear to the brain, researchers said on Tuesday, Reuters reported.
But among public concern about a possible link, the scientists who conducted the largest study so far on the subject said they could not rule out a higher risk over a longer period.
“The results of our study suggest there is no substantial risk in the first decade after starting use,” said Anthony Swerdlow of the Institute of Cancer Research.
“Whether there are longer-term risks remains unknown, reflecting the fact that this is a relatively recent technology.”
The study, published in the British Journal of Cancer, focused on the risk of acoustic neuroma (听觉神经瘤), benign tumors which grow in the nerve connecting the ear and inner ear to the brain, close to where handset are held.
Research has also investigated the possible association of other kinds of brain tumor with mobile phones but scientists say acoustic neuroma would be a prime candidate to be affected.
Previous independent studies have found mobile phone radiation may have some effect on the human body, such as heating up the brain and causing headaches and feeling of sickness.
But no study that could be independently repeated has proved mobile phones have permanent harmful effects and the mobile phone industry argues there is no conclusive evidence that electromagnetic radiation causes harm.
About 780 million mobile phones are expected to be sold this year, and nearly 2 billion people around the world use one.
The institute’s analysis pooled studies conducted in Britain, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden ─ all countries where mobile phones were introduced early.
Cancer charities (慈善团体) welcomed the findings.
“However, it’s important researchers continue to monitor phone users over coming years as mobiles are still a relatively new invention,” said Cancer Research UK’s Julie Sharp.
64.Public are concerned about ________.
a) whether mobile phone does harm to their ear
b) whether mobile phone does harm to their health
c) what kind of phone they should use
d) why the new finding is opposite to the old one
65.The researchers have drawn a conclusion that ________.
a) there is no risk for people to use mobile phone
b) mobile phone radiation may have effect on human body
c) so far there is no connection between mobile phone and risk
d) there is evidence that mobile phone causes harm to human body
66.The underlined word “pooled” in the tenth paragraph means ________.
A. put together B. gave out C. sent off D. sent together
67.Researchers will continue their study because ________.
a) they will lose their job if they stop
b) they want to stop people using mobile phone
c) they think they can greatly improve mobile phone
d) they believe ten years is not long enough
D
A tall, decorative plant that can be grown in Europe and the United States could provide a significant amount of energy without contributing to global warming, scientists said on Tuesday.
Field testing of the grass called Miscanthus in Illinois showed it could be very effective as an economically and environmentally sustainable (可持续的) energy crop.
Professor Steve Long and his colleagues at the University of Illinois obtained a yield of about 69 tons per hectare(公顷)of the tall grass last year.
“If about 8 percent of the land area (of the state) was given over to this grass, and assuming only half of those yields were obtained, we would obtain enough dry matter to generate the total electricity used by the state of Illinois, which includes the city of Chicago,” he told a science conference.
Professor Mike Jones, of Trinity College in Dublin, said planting the crop on 10 per cent of the arable (可耕的) land in Ireland, could meet up to 30 percent of the country’s electricity needs.
In the United States, scientists are looking at burning the crop in a 50-50 mix with coal to generate electricity. It would be suitable for use in some existing power plants, although others would require change.
The scientists told the British Association for the Advancement of Science conference that the attractive, perennial (多年生的) plant which grows about 14 feet high and similar grasses could provide a means to significantly protect the environment.
“As the plant grows it is drawing carbon dioxide out of the air. When you burn it you put that carbon dioxide back, so the net effect on atmospheric CO2 is zero,” Long explained.
68.From the first paragraph we can learn that ________.
a) crops in Europe and the United States often grow tall
b) the crop which scientists have studied looks beautiful
c) global warming is caused by Europe and the United States
d) Europe and the United States often use crops to produce energy
69.If the plant was used to produce energy, what would happen in the United States?
A. There would be no land to grow other crops.
B. Americans wouldn’t like to use oil any more.
C. American workers would become farmers.
D. Electricity in America would become cheaper.
70.The plant does no harm to the environment because ________.
A. it doesn’t sent out CO2 B. it is burnt in the countryside
C. it takes in CO2 D. it doesn’t give off smoke
71.The best title for this text would be ________.
A. Can A Crop Bring Cleaner Energy? B. Can A Plant Increase Global Warming?
C. Field Testing of a Grass. D. New Types of Power Plants.
E
What you give your relatives and friends can help you know yourself better. Also, what they give you can tell you something about their personality. Most gift-giving (and getting) shows nothing more than the spirit of love and friendship. But it is possible to form some associations between the kinds of things brought and the people who buy them. Here is a guide to who gives what ─ and why.
The clothes you wear tell something about your personality. They tell the world not only how you want to be see but how you see yourself as well. When someone gives you something to war that agrees with your self-image, they’re saying, “I agree with you. I like you the way you are.” Such a gift should be taken as a form of compliment (赞美). On the other hand, a gift of clothing that doesn’t match your personality could be an insult (侮辱) to your character.
Making something by hand has become the exception in many countries today. If you receive a homemade gift, you’re lucky. It may not be made perfectly, but it will show a certain quality of love. They’ve given time and emotion, two important characteristics of being creative.
A person who thinks of food when thinking of gift is good example of what human warmth means. Whether you give a box of chocolate, a bag of oranges, or a ball of cheese, all carry the same message of comfort and support.
People who give books as gifts either like reading or would like everyone to think they do. If you happen to receive a large, heavy book, its giver may be much more interested in the way things appear than in the way they actually are. Of course, reading is a way of feeling the emotions of another person and of learning new things. Giving a book can be a way of sharing a feeling or newly learn meaning. The giver is probably trying to say to you what the book said to him.
72.The first paragraph is written mainly to tell readers that ________.
a) the gifts you give can help you understand yourself better than any other ways
b) there is a certain relationship between the gifts and the people who give them
c) the gifts you receive help you learn the personality of the givers
d) between relatives and friends a gift may show friendship and love
73.A person who likes the self-image of another person will give the latter a gift ________.
A. fashionable and expensive B. made at home by himself
C. that agrees with the personality of the receiver
D. that matches the character of the giver
74.If you give a large book as a gift, it may show that ________.
a) you enjoy reading and will be successful in writing
b) the receiver is interested in reading and hopes to be a writer
c) you want to share with others a certain feeling
d) you are more interested in the appearance than in its contents
75.People who want to show their love toward others often give ________.
A. homemade gifts B. delicious food
C. expensive clothes D. interesting book