英文阅读理解

英文阅读理解 说 明 1. 仍可借助参考书或字典, 但务必独立完成; 2. 因本学期期未考试的笔试中有类似型，所以建议大家在约20分钟内完成，以适应考试; 3(提交的作业只需十个答案，勿需附件; 4(本次作业为本学期的最后一次作业，提交期限为六月二十号。 Reading Comprehension II How men first learnt to invent words is unknown; in other words, the origin of language is a mystery. All we really know is that men, unlike animals, somehow invented certain sounds to express thought and feelings, actions and things, so that they could communicate with each other; and that later they agreed upon certain signs, called letters, which could be combined to present those sounds, and which could be written down. Those sounds, whether spoken or written in letters, we call words. The power of words, then, lies in their associations-the thing they bring up before our minds. Words become filled with meaning for us by experience; and the longer we live, the more certain words recall to us the glad and sad events of our past; and the more we read and learn, the more the number of words that mean something increases. Great writers are those who not only have great thoughts but also express these thoughts in words which appeal powerfully to our minds and emotions. This charming and telling use of words is what we call literary style. Above all, the real poet is a master of words. He can convey his meaning in words which sing like music and which by their position and association can move men to tears. We should therefore learn to choose our words carefully and use them accurately, or they will make our speech silly and vulgar. (238) 1. The origin of language is _______. A. a problem not yet solved B. a matter that is hidden or secret C. a question with no answer D. a legend handed down from the past 2. What is true about words? A. They are used to express feelings only. B. They are simply sounds. C. They can not be written down. D. They are mysterious. 3. The real power of words lies in their _______. A. properties B. characteristics C. representative function D. peculiarity 4. By “association”, the author means _______. A. a special quality B. an appearance which is puzzling C. a joining of ideas in the mind D. a strange feature 5. Which of the following statements about the real poet is NOT true? A. He is no more than a master of words. B. He can convey his ideas in words which sing like music. C. His style is always charming. D. He can move men to tears. The advantages and disadvantages of a large population have long been a subject of discussion among economists. It has been argued that the supply of good land is limited. To feed a large population, poor land must be cultivated (耕种) and the good land worked intensively (精耕细作). Thus, each person produces less and this means a lower average income than could be obtained with a smaller population. Other economists have argued that a large population gives more chance of development of facilities such as ports, roads and railways, which are not likely to be built unless there is a big demand. One of the difficulties in carrying out a worldwide birth control program lies in the fact that official attitudes to population growth vary from country to country depending on the level of industrial development and the availability of food and raw materials. In the developing country where a vastly expanded population is pressing hard upon the limits of food, space and natural resources, the first concern of government will be to set a limit on the birthrate, whatever the final result may be. In a highly industrialized society the problem may be more complex. A decreasing birthrate may lead to unemployment because it results in a declining market for manufactured goods. When the pressure of population on housing declines, prices also decline and building industry grows weaker. Faced with concerns such as these, the government of a developed country may well prefer to see a slowly increasing population, rather than one which is stable or in decline. (266) 6. The main topic of this article is _______. A. population growth B. environment protection C. environment and economy D. concerns of government 7. The passage says that a small population may lead to _______. A. lower production and lower average income B. lower production, but a higher average income C. higher production and a higher average income D. higher production, but a lower average income 8. According to the passage, the use of birth control perhaps is good for _______. A. a developed country B. each nation with a big population C. the whole world D. a developing country 9. In a developed country, people will perhaps be unemployed if the birthrate _______. A. goes up B. is out of control C. remains stable D. goes down 10. The author is aiming to show that _______. A. humans will run out of their food supply in the future B. we need to take necessary measures to prevent the overuse of natural resources C. it is necessary for humans to carry out a worldwide plan for birth control D. different nations have different views of population growth