高考英语阅读理解专项训练——故事类

高考英语阅读理解专项训练——故事类

‎2009年高考英语阅读理解专项训练——故事类 ‎(1)‎ Mr. Peter Johnson, aged twenty-three, battled for half an hour to escape from his trapped car yesterday when it landed upside down in three feet of water. Mr. Johnson took the only escape route—through the boot(行李箱). ‎ Mr. Johnson’s car had finished up in a ditch(沟渠) at Romney Marsin, Kent after skidding on ice and hitting a bank. “Fortunately, the water began to come in only slowly,” Mr. Johnson said. “I couldn’t force the doors because they were jammed against the walls of the ditch and dared not open the windows because I knew water would come flooding in.” ‎ Mr. Johnson, a sweet salesman of Sitting Home‎, ‎Kent, first tried to attract the attention of other motorists by sounding the horn and hammering on the roof and boot. Then he began his struggle to escape. ‎ Later he said, “It was really a half penny that saved my life. It was the only coin I had in my pocket and I used it to unscrew the back seat to get into the boot. I hammered desperately with a hammer trying to make someone hear, but no help came.” ‎ It took ten minutes to unscrew the seat, and a further five minutes to clear the sweet samples from the boot. Then Mr. Johnson found a wrench and began to work on the boot lock. Fifteen minutes passed by. “It was the only chance I had. Finally it gave, but as soon as I moved the boot lid, the water and mud poured in. I forced the lid down into the mud and scrambled clear as the car filled up.” ‎ ‎ His hands and arms cut and bruised(擦伤), Mr. Johnson got to Beckett Farm nearby, where he was looked after by the farmer’s wife, Mrs. Lucy Bates. Huddled in a blanket, he said, “That thirty minutes seemed like hours.” Only the tips of the car wheels were visible, police said last night. The vehicle had sunk into two feet of mud at the bottom of the ditch. ‎ ‎1. What is the best title for this newspaper article?‎ A. The Story of Mr. Johnson, A Sweet Salesman ‎ B. Car Boot Can Serve As The Best Escape Route ‎ C. Driver Escapes Through Car Boot ‎ D. The Driver Survived A Terrible Car Accident ‎ ‎2. Which of the following objects is the most important to Mr. Johnson?‎ A. The hammer. B. The coin. ‎ C. The screw. D. The horn. ‎ ‎3. Which statement is true according to the passage?‎ A. Mr. Johnson’s car stood on its boot as it fell down. ‎ B. Mr. Johnson could not escape from the door because it was full of sweet jam. ‎ C. Mr. Johnson’s car accident was partly due to the slippery road. ‎ D. Mr. Johnson struggled in the pouring mud as he unscrewed the back seat. ‎ ‎4. “Finally it gave” (Paragraph 5) means that _______. ‎ A. Luckily the door was torn away in the end ‎ B. At last the wrench went broken ‎ C. The lock came open after all his efforts ‎ D. The chance was lost at the last minute ‎ ‎5. It may be inferred from the passage that _______. ‎ A. the ditch was along a quiet country road ‎ B. the accident happened on a clear warm day ‎ C. the police helped Mr. Johnson get out of the ditch ‎ D. Mr. Johnson had a tender wife and was well attended ‎ ‎【答案解析】‎ 本文记述了Mr. Johnson由于车祸被困于水下车内半个小时，最后死里逃生的故事。‎ ‎1. C。主旨题。根据第1段 Mr. Peter Johnson…escape from his trapped car…through the boot 可归纳出文章的标题为答案C。‎ ‎2. B。细节题。根据第4段 Mr. Johnson 所说的话及他后面所做的事情可推知此题答案为B。‎ ‎3. C。细节题。根据第2段第一句…skidding on ice and hitting a bank 可推知答案为C。‎ ‎4. C。词句理解题。根据其上文 …work on the boot lock 及下文 but as soon as I moved the boot lid, the water and mud poured in 可推知此题答案为C。‎ ‎5. A。推断题。根据第4段最后一句 but no help came 及最后一段的第一句 Mr. Johnson got to Beckett Farm nearby 可推知地点是在寂静的农村，此题答案为A。‎ ‎(2)‎ The most frightening words in the English language are, “Our computer is down.” You hear it more and more when you are on business. The other day I was at the airport waiting for a ticket to Washington and the girl in the ticket office said, “I’m sorry, I can’t sell you a ticket. Our computer is down.” ‎ ‎“If your computer is down, just write me out a ticket.” ‎ ‎“I can’t write you out a ticket. The computer is the only one allowed to do so.” ‎ I looked down on the computer and every passenger was just standing there drinking coffee and staring at the black screen. Then I asked her, “What do all you people do?” ‎ ‎“We give the computer the information about your trip, and then it tells us whether you can fly with us or not.” ‎ ‎“So when it goes down, you go down with it.” ‎ ‎“That’s good, sir.” ‎ ‎“How long will the computer be down?” I wanted to know.‎ ‎“I have no idea. Sometimes it’s down for 10 minutes, sometimes for two hours. There’s no way we can find out without asking the computer, and since it’s down it won’t answer us.” ‎ After the girl told me they had no backup(备用) computer, I said. “Let’s forget the computer. What about your planes? They’re still flying, aren’t they?” ‎ ‎“I couldn’t tell without asking the computer.” ‎ ‎“Maybe I could just go to the gate and ask the pilot if he’s flying to Washington, ” I suggested.‎ ‎“I wouldn’t know what gate to send you to. Even if the pilot was going to Washington, he ‎ couldn’t take you if you didn’t have a ticket.” ‎ ‎“Is there any other airline flying to Washington within the next few hours?” ‎ ‎“I wouldn’t know, ” she said, pointing at the dark screen. “Only ‘IT’ knows. ‘It’ can’t tell me.” ‎ By this time there were quite a few people standing in lines. The word soon spread to other travelers that the computer was down. Some people went white, some people started to cry and still others kicked their luggage.‎ ‎1. The best title for the article is _______.‎ A. When the Computer Is Down B. The Most Frightening Words C. The Computer of the Airport D. Asking the Computer ‎2. What could the girl in the ticket office do for the passengers without asking the computer?‎ A. She could sell a ticket.‎ B. She could write out a ticket.‎ C. She could answer the passengers’ questions. ‎ D. She could do nothing.‎ ‎3. Why do you think they had not a backup computer?‎ A. Because it was easy down B. Because it was very expensive.‎ C. Because it was not advanced enough. ‎ D. Because it was not as big as the main computer.‎ ‎4. The last paragraph suggests that _______.‎ A. a modern computer won’t be down. ‎ B. computers can take the place of humans C. sometimes a computer may bring suffering to people D. there will be great changes in computers ‎【答案解析】‎ 本文记述了作者在机场遭遇电脑系统死机所带来的后果及人们对此的反应。‎ ‎1.A。主旨题。根据文章第1句中的Our computer is down及后面的文章内容，可推知此题答案为A。‎ ‎2.D。细节题。根据文章中的对话：售票员不能卖机票，回答不出旅客提出的问题等等，可推知此题答案为D。‎ ‎3.B。主观题。根据各选项的比较及生活经验对之进行判断，得出此题的答案为B。‎ ‎4.C。推断题。根据文章最后一段的描述：电脑死机，旅客们感到恐惧、忧郁、不安，从而可推知此题答案为C。‎ ‎(3)‎ We spent a day in the country, picking wild flowers. With the car full of flowers we were going home. On our way back my wife noticed a cupboard (柜厨) outside a furniture shop. It was tall and narrow. “Buy it, ” my wife said at once. “We’ll carry it home on the roof rack. I’ve always wanted one like that.” ‎ What could I do? Ten minutes later I was ￡20 poorer; and the cupboard was tied on the roof rack. It was six feet long and eighteen inches square, quite heavy too.‎ In the gathering darkness I drove slowly. Other drivers seemed unusually polite that evening. The police even stopped traffic to let us through. Carrying furniture was a good idea.‎ After a time my wife said, “There’s a long line of cars behind. Why don’t they overtake, I wonder?” In fact a police car did overtake. The two officers inside looked at us seriously as they passed. But then, with great kindness, they led us through the rush-hour traffic. The police car stopped at our village church. One of the officers came to me.‎ ‎“Right, sir, ” he said. “Do you need any more help?” ‎ I was a bit puzzled. “Thanks, officer, ” I said. “You have been very kind. I live just on the road.” ‎ He was staring at our car, first at the flowers, then at the cupboard. “Well, well, ” he said, laughing. “It’s a cupboard you’ve got there! We thought it was something else.” ‎ My wife began to laugh. The truth hit me like a stone between the eyes. I smiled at the officer. “Yes, it’s a cupboard, but thanks again.” I drove home as fast as I could. ‎ ‎1. In fact the husband _______ the cupboard.‎ A. would like very much to buy B. badly wanted ‎ C. was glad to have bought D. would rather not buy ‎2. Other drivers thought they were _______.‎ A. carrying a cupboard to the church B. sending flowers to the church C. carrying nothing but a piece of furniture D. going to attend a funeral(葬礼) at the church ‎3. The police will be more polite to those who are _______.‎ A. driving in gathering darkness B. in great sorrow (悲痛)‎ C. driving with wild glowers in the car D. carrying furniture ‎4. What did the husband think of this matter?‎ A. It was very strange. B. He felt ashamed of it.‎ C. He took great pride in it. D. He was puzzled at it.‎ ‎【答案解析】‎ 作者在采花回家的路上，妻子又买了一个柜子装在车上，其他的司机及警察都以为他们是去给人送葬，所以纷纷给其让路。‎ ‎1. D。推断题。根据文章第2段作者对买柜子的想法：要花钱、又长又笨重，从而推断出作者心里不愿意，由此可知答案为D。‎ ‎2. D。推断题。根据第4段倒数第2句：警察的车停在教堂及第7段警察看车的情形：看了花草又看柜子，说：我们以为是别的什么东西。可推断出此题答案为D。‎ ‎3. B。推断题。根据文章中对警察关心作者的描述及警察对作者车上东西的看法可推断出警察以为作者去参加葬礼，所以对作者特别关心，由此可知答案为B。‎ ‎4. B ‎。推断题。根据文章最后一段的描述：好像一块石头击中了我的眉心，于是我尽快地把车开回家，可看出作者对此很羞愧，从而推断出此题答案为B。‎ ‎(4)‎ My father was a foreman of a sugar-cane plantation in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. My first job was to drive the oxen that ploughed the cane fields. I would walk behind an ox, guiding him with a broomstick. For $ ‎1 a day, I worked eight hours straight, with no food breaks.‎ It was very tedious work, but it prepared me for life and taught me many lasting lessons. Because the plantation owners were always watching us, I had to be on time every day and work as hard as I could. I’ve never been late for any job since. I also learned about being respectful and faithful to the people you work for. More important, I earned my pay; it never entered my mind to say I was sick just because I didn’t want to work.‎ I was only six years old, but I was doing a man’s job. Our family needed every dollar we could make because my father never earned more than $ ‎18 a week. Our home was a three-room wood shack with a dirty floor and no toilet. Nothing made me prouder than bringing home money to help my mother, father, two brothers and three sisters. This gave me self-esteem(自尊心), one of the most important things a person can have.‎ When I was seven, I got work at a golf course near our house. My job was to stand down the fairway and spot the balls as they landed, so the golfers could find them. Losing a ball meant you were fired, so I never missed one. Some nights I would lie in bed and dreamt of making thousands of dollars by playing golf and being able to buy a bicycle.‎ The more I dreamed, the more I thought. Why not? I made my first golf club out of guava limb(番石榴树枝) and a piece of pipe. Then I hammered an empty tin can into the shape of a ball. And finally I dug two small holes in the ground and hit the ball back and forth. I practiced with the same devotion and intensity. I learned working in the field — except now I was driving golf balls with club, not oxen with a broomstick.‎ ‎1. The writer’s first job was _______.‎ A. to stand down the fairway at a golf course ‎ B. to watch over the sugar-cane plantation C. to drive the oxen that ploughed the cane fields D. to spot the balls as they landed so the golfers could find them ‎2. The word “tedious” in Paragraph 2 most probably means _______.‎ A. difficult B. boring C. interesting D. unusual ‎3. The writer learned that_______ from his first job.‎ A. he should work for those who he liked most B. he should work longer than what he was expected C. he should never fail to say hello to his owner D. he should be respectful and faithful to the people he worked for ‎4. _______ gave the writer serf-esteem.‎ A. Having a family of eight people ‎ B. Owning his own golf course C. Bringing money back home to help the family D. Helping his father with the work on the plantation ‎5. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?‎ A. He wanted to be a successful golfer. ‎ B. He wanted to run a golf course near his house.‎ C. He was satisfied with the job he got on a plantation.‎ D. He wanted to make money by guiding oxen with a broomstick.‎ ‎【答案解析】‎ 本文主要介绍作者小时候的工作经历：6岁时在一家甘蔗种植园耕地，7岁时在离家不远的一家高尔夫球场找到看球。‎ ‎1. C。语义理解题。第 1 段第 2 句话My first job was to drive the oxen that ploughed the cane fields 和题干几乎完全相同。‎ ‎2. B。词义猜测题。从第 2 段第 2 句话中的I had to be on time every day and work as hard as I could 可以推知 tedious 的正确词义。‎ ‎3. D。语义理解题。看到文章第 2 段第 4 句话 I also learned about being respectful and faithful to the people you work for，答案不言自明。‎ ‎4. C。语义理解题。从文章第 3 段最后两句话 Nothing made me prouder than bringing home money to help my mother, father, two brothers and three sisters. This gave me self-esteem (自尊心)… 不难肯定答案为C。‎ ‎5. A。判断题。从最后一段内容不难看出他想当一名高尔夫球员的迫切之心。‎ ‎(5)‎ At the time, I would go out in the evening with my parents. But this time I had borrowed a bicycle from a friend of mine. I didn’t know why, but once I was on my own bicycle, a kind of free feeling flooded through me. The faster I rode, the faster I wanted to go! Far ahead, I rode as if my life depended on it, head down, hands grasping the handbars. I meant to get to Jinghai Bar as fast as I could...‎ Oh! My hands! Don’t come any closer... Don’t touch me! That poor doctor just couldn’t get my gloves off. Each time he took a step towards me, I broke into painful shouting. Much later, I　discovered that I had crashed(碰撞) heavily with another bicycle, and I hadn’t spoken one word of sense for at least three hours! After some time, my mother arrived at the hospital, her face as white as a sheet, and gave me a hug(拥抱), only then did the doctor begin to stitch(缝合) my head wound, not only did he merrily cut off a long lock of my hair, but used no anaesthetic(麻药) either! Later. I seemed to hear faraway voices saying that my right hand was broken. I almost burst into tears. How would I ever play the piano again?‎ ‎1. On her way to Jinghai, the writer felt _______.‎ A. nervous B. comfortable C. light-hearted D. upset ‎2. Why did the writer ride a bicycle to Jinghai Bar that evening?‎ A. Because she wanted to attend a party on time.‎ B. Because she wanted to meet her friend who was waiting for her there.‎ C. Because she just wanted, to join some of her friends and drink some wine.‎ D. We are not quite sure about what she was really going there for.‎ ‎3. What did the writer think of the doctor?‎ A. Friendly. B. Cruel. C. Hardworking. D. Kind.‎ ‎4. One thing is sure, that is, before she was wounded she _______.‎ A. often went to Jinghai Bar with her friends ‎ B. liked playing the piano C. didn’t like any doctors at all D. would burst into tears when she was in trouble ‎【答案解析】‎ 本文述说了作者骑车遇险的经历。‎ ‎1. C。推断题。根据第1段后面几句话的描述可推知此题的答案为C。‎ ‎2. D。推断题。文章未说作者去Jinghai Bar的原因，因此，我们也就无法知道，因此此题答案为D。‎ ‎3. B。推断题。根据文章中的 …not only did he merrily cut off a long lock of my hair, but used no anaesthetic either 可知，作者认为这医生很残忍，因此选B。‎ ‎4. B。细节题。根据文章最后一句可知：她喜欢弹钢琴。从而可推知此题答案为B。‎ ‎(6)‎ Beldon and Canfield are two seashore towns, not far apart. Both towns have many hotels, and in summer the hotels are full of holiday-makers and other tourists. ‎ Last August there was a fire at the Seabreeze Hotel in Beldon. The next day, this news appeared on page two of the town’s newspaper. The Beldon Post:‎ FIRE AT SEABREEZE Late last night firemen hurried to the Seabreeze Hotel and quickly put out a small fire in a ‎ bedroom. The hotel manager said that a cigarette started the fire. We say again to all our visitors： “Please don’t smoke cigarettes in bed.” This was Beldon’s first hotel fire for five years. ‎ The Canfield Times gave the news in these words on page one：‎ ANOTHER BELDON HOTEL CATCHES FIRE Last night Beldon firemen arrived just too late to save clothing, bedclothes and some furniture at the Seabreeze Hotel. An angry holiday-maker said, “An electric lamp probably started the fire. The bedroom lamps are very old at some of these hotels. When I put my bedside light on, I heard a funny noise from the lamp.” We are glad to tell our readers that this sort of adventure does not happen in Canfield. ‎ What are the facts, then? It is never easy to find out the exact truth about an accident. There was a fire at the Seabreeze Hotel last August: that is one fact. Do we know anything else? Yes, we know that firemen went to the hotel. ‎ Now what do you think of the rest of the “news” ?‎ ‎1. Which of the following best gives the main idea of this text?‎ A. Beldon and Canfield are both good places for tourists in summer. ‎ B. A fire broke out night in Seabreeze Hotel last summer. ‎ C. It was not easy to find out exact truth from newspapers. ‎ D. Two newspapers gave reports on the same matter. ‎ ‎2. Which of the following are probably facts? ‎ a. The fire broke out in a bedroom at the hotel. ‎ b. A cigarette started the fire. ‎ c. An old lamp started the fire. ‎ d. The fire broke out at night. ‎ e. There has never been a fire in Canfield. ‎ A. b and c B. a and d C. c and e D. a and c ‎3. The Canfield Times used the headline like this in order to make its readers think _______. ‎ A. hotels in Beldon often catch fire B. hotels in Beldon don’t often catch fire C. this was the second fire at the Seabreeze Hotel D. Beldon was a good place except that hotels there are not quite safe ‎4. The Canfield newspaper gave a report just the opposite to the Beldon Post by saying that _______. ‎ A. the bedroom lamps were very old at the Seabreeze Hotel B. the bedroom lights made funny noise when the fire took place C. the firemen failed to save clothing, bedclothes and other things D. such accidents never happened in Canfield for the past 5 years ‎【答案解析】‎ 本文通过讲述两个对手城市的报纸对同一件火灾事故的不同报道，对新闻报道的真实性提出了质疑。‎ ‎1. C。主旨题。从主题句It is never easy to find out the exact truth about an accident.可得出答案。‎ ‎2. B。细节题。根据There was a fire at the Seabreeze Hotel last August及两张报纸都报道了火灾是在晚上发生的，故可以确定的事实只有两项a和 d。而其他选项都只是两份报纸的片面之辞，到度是真是假，我们无法得知，因此答案为B。‎ ‎3. A。推断题。ANOTHER BELDON HOTEL CATCHES FIRE中ANOTHER是个关键词，它暗示了Beldon宾馆频繁发生的火灾。‎ ‎4. C。细节题。The Canfield Times 报道说Last night Beldon firemen arrived just too late to save clothing, bedclothes and some furniture at the Seabreeze Hotel.，而The Beldon Post则说消防队员及时把这场小火扑灭了，（没有造成损失），两者报道相反。可此题答案为C。‎ ‎(7)‎ Jack used to curse(咒骂) the front yard as if it were a living thing. He was the man who lived with my grandmother for thirty years. He was not my grandfather, but an Italian who came down ‎ the road one day, selling fruit in Florida.‎ Jack stopped at my grandmother’s house to sell her some oranges just a stone’s throw from downtown Miami, and he was delivering her whiskey a week later. He stayed for thirty years. Jack hated the front yard because he thought it was against him. There had been a beautiful lawn(草坪) there when Jack came along, but he let it wander off into nothing. He refused to water it or take care of it in any way.‎ Now the ground was so hard that it gave his car flat tires(轮胎) in the summer. The yard was always finding a nail to put in one of his tires or the car as always sinking out of sight in the winter when the rains came on. The lawn had belonged to my grandfather, who lived out the end of his life in an insane hospital. It had been his pride and joy and was said to be the place where his powers came.‎ ‎1. It can be inferred that the real reason Jack had problems with the yard was that _______.‎ A. he didn’t like the lawn.‎ B. the author’s grandfather was against Jack working on the lawn C. the lawn was full of living things D. he himself did not take care of the lawn ‎2. We can learn from the passage that when the lawn belonged to the author’s grandfather, it had been _______.‎ A. beautiful B. worn out C. wasted D. full of nails ‎3. What do we know about Jack and the author’s grandfather?‎ A. They both hated the front lawn.‎ B. Jack was jealous of the author’s grandfather.‎ C. They sold fruit in Florida.‎ D. They came from Italy and lived together.‎ ‎【答案解析】‎ Jack为什么曾经指桑骂槐，因为他嫉妒我祖父。我祖父曾把前花园弄得很漂亮。‎ ‎1. D。判断题。从第2段最后一句话He refused to water it or take care of it in any way. 可以判断。‎ ‎2. A。语义理解题。根据There had been a beautiful lawn(草坪) there when Jack came along, but he let it wander off into nothing 可知答案。‎ ‎3. B。判断题。运用排除法：根据原文可知A、C、D三项明显不对。再看第1段第1句话的意思：Jack 过去常常咒骂前花园，就好像那花园是一个有生命的东西一样，可以看出Jack 不是在骂花园，而是指桑骂槐，所以选B。‎ ‎(8)‎ When Johnson called again, the manager received him very politely. “That is a most remarkable oil you brought us, Mr Johnson,” he said. Johnson nodded his smooth, dark head. That was something he knew very well. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” the manager admitted. Johnson nodded again. “No?” he said politely. Then he added, “But I think you will, sir. A very great deal of it.” He appeared to think for a moment. “I think you will find it will be on sale seven, perhaps, eight years from now.” He smiled.‎ The manager thought that was uncertain. He said, “It is better than our fish oils. I admit that.” “So I am told, sir,” agreed Johnson.‎ ‎“Have you any plans to produce it yourself, Mr Johnson?” ‎ Johnson smiled again. “Would I be showing it to you if I had?” ‎ ‎“We might add some chemicals to one of our own fish oils,” said the manager.‎ ‎“It would be expensive to do that, even if you could.” Johnson said gently. “Besides,” he added, “I am told that this oil will be much cheaper than your best fish oils. Cheaper than any vegetable oil, in fact.” ‎ ‎“Perhaps,” said the manager. “Well, I suppose you want to make an arrangement, Mr Johnson, Shall we discuss it?” ‎ ‎“Of course,” said Johnson. “There are two ways of dealing with a situation of this sort. The usual one is to prevent it altogether or at least to delay it as long as possible. That is, of course, the ‎ best way,” The manager nodded. He knew plenty about all that.‎ ‎“But I am so sorry for you, because, you see, that is not possible this time.” The manager had his doubts, but all he said was an inquiring(asking), “Oh?” ‎ ‎“The other way,” continued Johnson, “is to produce yourself before the trouble starts.” ‎ ‎1. The manager thought of adding chemicals to the fish oil to make it ________. ‎ A. cheaper than the new oil B. more quickly C. more expensive D. as good as the new oil ‎2. Johnson’s new oil would be ________. ‎ A. more expensive than fish oil, but better B. less expensive, and better ‎ C. less expensive, but not good D. more expensive, and not so good ‎3. Johnson expressed his regret that the manager ________. ‎ A. could not stop the new oil being made B. would never know how to make it C. had spent a lot of money on it D. didn’t know enough about it ‎4. Johnson showed his new oil to the manager because he wanted ________.‎ A. to produce it himselfB. to prevent it being produced C. to be paid not to produce it 　D. the manager to produce it ‎【答案解析】‎ 本文描述了Johnson向经理推销他所研制的生产新品种的油的过程。‎ ‎1. D。推断题。根据第2段经理所说的话 It is better than our fish oils 和第6段We might add some chemicals to one of our own fish oils可推知此题的答案为D。‎ ‎2. B。推断题。根据Johnson与经理的对话，特别是从It is better than our fish oils和I am told that this oil will be much cheaper than your best fish oils 可推知此题答案为B。 ‎ ‎3. A。推断题。根据文章倒数第二、三段中的The usual one is to prevent it altogether or at least to delay it as long as possible和But I am so sorry for you, because, you see, that is not possible this time可推知此题为A。‎ ‎4. D。推断题。根据文章最后一句及全文Johnson所讲的话可推知此题答案为D。‎ ‎(9)‎ A lot of us lose life’s tough battles by starting a frontal(正面的) attack—when a touch of humor might well enable us to win. Consider the case of a young friend of mine, who hit a traffic jam on his way to work shortly after receiving an ultimatum(最后通牒) about being late on the job. Although there was a good reason for Sam’s a being late—serious illness at home—he decided that this by-now-familiar excuse wouldn’t work any longer. His supervisor was probably already pacing up and down preparing a dismissal speech.‎ Yes, the boss was, Sam entered the office at 9:35. The place was as quiet as a locker room(更衣室); everyone was hard at work. Sam’s supervisor came up to him. Suddenly, Sam forced a grin and stretched out his hand. “How do you do!” he said. “I’m Sam Maynard. I’m applying for a job. Which, I understand, became available just 35 minutes ago. Does the early bird get the worm?”‎ The room exploded in laughter. The supervisor clamped off a smile and walked back to his office. Sam Maynard had saved his job—with the only tool that could win, a laugh.‎ Humor is a most effective, yet frequently neglected(忽略), means of handling the difficult situations in our lives. It can be used for patching up differences, apologizing, saying “no”, criticizing, getting the other fellow to do what you want without his losing face. For some jobs, it’s the only tool that can succeed. It is a way to discuss subjects so sensitive that serious dialog may start a quarrel. For example, many believe that comedians(喜剧演员) on television are doing more today for racial and religious tolerance(忍受力) than people in any other forum.‎ ‎1. Why was Sam late for his job?‎ A. Because he was ill.‎ B. Because he got up late.‎ C. Because he was caught in a traffic jam.‎ D. He was busy applying for a new job.‎ ‎2. The main idea of this passage is ________. ‎ A. Sam Maynard saved his job with humor B. humor is important in our lives C. early bird gets the worm D. humor can solve racial discriminations ‎3. The phrase “clamped off” in Paragraph 3 means ________.‎ A. tried to hold back B. tried to set C. charged D. gave out ‎4. Which of the following statements can we infer from the passage?‎ A. Many lose life’s battles for they are lacking in a sense of humor.‎ B. It wasn’t the first time that Sam came late for his work.‎ C. Sam was supposed to come to his office at 8:30.‎ D. Humor is the most effective way of solving problems.‎ ‎【答案解析】‎ 本文通过一个小故事讲述了幽默的重要性。‎ ‎1. C。细节题。根据who hit a traffic jam on his way to work可知，他迟到的原因是他碰上了交通堵塞。‎ ‎2. B。主旨题。根据短文第 1 句是主题句 A lot of us lose life’s tough battles by starting a frontal(正面的) attack — when a touch of humor might well enable us to win (在人生很多场激烈的争斗中，我们如果与人硬碰硬正面交锋的话，可能败得一塌糊涂。而幽默往往使我们反败为胜)和文章第 4 段第 1 句，可知整篇短文讲的是幽默的重要性。‎ ‎3. A。词义猜测题。前面提到老板连辞退他的话都想好了，而Sam开的这个玩笑使人们哄堂大笑。而老板为了树立他的威严，仍然强忍住笑。故答案为A。‎ ‎4. B。 推断题。根据 …shortly after receiving an ultimatum(最后通牒) about being late on the job 我们可以了解到，Sam不止一次上班迟到了。‎ ‎(10)‎ In 1939 two brothers, Mac and Dick McDonald, started a drive-in restaurant in San Bernadino, California. They carefully chose a busy corner for their location. They had run their own businesses for years, first a theater, then a barbecue(烤肉) restaurant, then another drive-in. But in their new operation, they offered a new, shortened menu: French fries, hamburgers, and sodas. To this small selection they added one new idea: quick service, no waiters or waitresses, and no tips.‎ Their hamburgers sold for fifteen cents. Cheese was another four cents. Their French fries and hamburgers had a remarkable uniformity(一致性), for the brothers had developed a strict routine(程序) for the preparation of their food, and they insisted on their cooks’ sticking to their routine. Their new drive-in became surprisingly popular, particularly for lunch. People drove up by the hundreds during the busy noontime. The self-service restaurant was so popular that the brothers had allowed ten copies of their restaurant to be opened. They were content with this modest success until they met Ray Kroc.‎ Kroc was a salesman who met the McDonald brothers in 1954, when he was selling milkshake-mixing machines. He quickly saw the special attraction of the brothers’ fast-food restaurants and bought the right to franchise(特许经营) other copies of their restaurants. The agreement included the right to duplicate(复制) the menu, the equipment, even their red and white buildings with the golden arches(拱门). ‎ Today McDonald’s is really a household name. In 1976, McDonald’s had over $ l billion in total sales. Its first twenty-two years is one of the most surprising success stories in modern American business history.‎ ‎1. This passage mainly talks about _______.‎ A. the development of fast food services B. how McDonald’s became a billion-dollar business C. the business careers of Mac and Dick McDonald D. Ray Kroc’s business talent ‎2. Mac and Dick managed all of the following businesses except _______.‎ A. a drive-in B. a theater C. a cinema D. a barbecue restaurant ‎3. We may infer from this passage that _______.‎ A. Mac and Dick McDonald never became wealthy for they sold their idea to Kroc.‎ B. the place the McDonalds chose was the only source of the great popularity of their drive-in C. forty years ago there were lots of fast-food restaurants D. Ray Kroc was a good businessman ‎4. The passage suggests that _______.‎ A. creativity is an important element of business success B. Ray Kroc was the close partner of the McDonald brothers C. Mac and Dick McDonald became broken after they sold their ideas to Ray Kroc D. California is the best place to go into business ‎【答案解释】‎ ‎“麦当劳”是家喻户晓的世界著名快餐饮食品牌。本文介绍了Mac and Dick McDonald两兄弟最初创业及 Kroc 购买该品牌经营权, 复制和发展“麦当劳”的一些情况。‎ ‎1. B。主旨题。通读全文可知本文主要介绍 Mac and Dick McDonald 两兄弟的最初创业及 Kroc 购买该品牌经营权的情况，由此可知答案为 B。‎ ‎2. C。细节题。根据第 1 段第 3 句话 They had run their own businesses for years, first a theater, then a barbecue(烤肉) restaurant, then another drive-in可知答案为 C。‎ ‎3. D。判断题。根据第 3 段第 2 句 He quickly saw the special attraction of the brothers’ fast-food restaurants and bought the right to franchise(特许经营) other copies of their restaurants.可以做出正确判断。‎ ‎4. A。主旨题。从全文可得出结论：创造力是事业成功的重要因素。‎