2013高考英语二轮阅读理解（四月）训练（6）及答案
Dear Malia and Sasha,
I know that you've both had a lot of fun these last two years on the campaign trail, going to picnics and parades and state fairs, eating all sorts of junk food your mother and I probably shouldn't have let you have. But I also know that it hasn't always been easy for you and Mom, and that as excited as you both are about that new puppy, it doesn't make up for all the time we've been apart. I know how much I've missed these past two years, and today I want to tell you a little more about why I decided to take our family on this journey.
When I was a young man, I thought life was all about me—about how I'd make my way in the world, become successful, and get the things I want. But then the two of you came into my world with all your curiosity and mischief and those smiles that never fail to fill my heart and light up my day. And suddenly, all my big plans for myself didn't seem so important anymore. I soon found that the greatest joy in my life was the joy I saw in yours. And I realized that my own life wouldn't count for much unless I was able to ensure that you had every opportunity for happiness and fulfillment in yours. In the end, girls, that's why I ran for President: because of what I want for you and for every child in this nation.
I want all our children to go to schools worthy of their potential—schools that challenge them, inspire them, and instill in them a sense of wonder about the world around them. I want them to have the chance to go to college—even if their parents aren't rich. And I want them to get good jobs: jobs that pay well and give them benefits like health care, jobs that let them spend time with their own kids and retire with dignity.
I want us to push the boundaries of discovery so that you'll live to see new technologies and inventions that improve our lives and make our planet cleaner and safer. And I want us to push our own human boundaries to reach beyond the divides of race and region, gender and religion that keep us from seeing the best in each other.
Sometimes we have to send our young men and women into war and other dangerous situations to protect our country—but when we do, I want to make sure that it is only for a very good reason, that we try our best to settle our differences with others peacefully, and that we do everything possible to keep our servicemen and women safe. And I want every child to understand that the blessings these brave Americans fight for are not free—that with the great privilege of being a citizen of this nation comes great responsibility.
That was the lesson your grandmother tried to teach me when I was your age, reading me the opening lines of the Declaration of Independence and telling me about the men and women who marched for equality because they believed those words put to paper two centuries ago should mean something.
She helped me understand that America is great not because it is perfect but because it can always be made better—and that the unfinished work of perfecting our union falls to each of us. It's a charge we pass on to our children, coming closer with each new generation to what we know America should be.
I hope both of you will take up that work, righting the wrongs that you see and working to give others the chances you've had. Not just because you have an obligation to give something back to this country that has given our family so much—although you do have that obligation. But because you have an obligation to yourself. Because it is only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you will realize your true potential.
These are the things I want for you—to grow up in a world with no limits on your dreams and no achievements beyond your reach, and to grow into compassionate, committed women who will help build that world. And I want every child to have the same chances to learn and dream and grow and thrive that you girls have. That's why I've taken our family on this great adventure.
I am so proud of both of you. I love you more than you can ever know. And I am grateful every day for your patience, poise, grace, and humor as we prepare to start our new life together in the White House.
Love, Dad
15. Who was most probably the writer?
A. A headmaster managing a primary school.
B. A candidate to run for President of U.S.A.
C. A manager running international business.
D. A commander experiencing a war in a foreign country.
16. What does the underlined word “journey” (Paragraph 1) really mean?
A. a trip to a place of interest
B. a process to bring up their children
C. a campaign to run for the president
D. a visit to their hometown to meet their grandmother
17. What do we know about Malia and Sasha’s grandmother?
A. She had a perfect way to educate children.
B. She encouraged the writer to join the army.
C. She bought a lovely puppy for her grandchildren.
D. She often read the Declaration of Independence to her grandchildren.
18. From the letter we can learn that the writer was _______________.
A. kind and hesitant B. ambitious and considerate
C. selfish but merciful D. successful but stubborn
19. According to the letter, which of the following is NOT true?
A. The writer and his two daughters had been apart for a long time.
B. The writer hoped that his daughters would live up to his great expectations.
C. The only way to settle the differences in the world is through violence.
D. There still exist some divides of race and region, gender and religion somewhere in the world.
20. What is the writer’s purpose of writing the letter?
A. Encouraging his daughters to run for President in the future.
B. Explaining the whole international situation to his daughters.
C. Educating his daughters how to defend their country.
D. Apologizing to his daughters for his not being able to stay together with them for such a long time.
参考答案 BCABCD
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A
The view over a valley of a tiny village with thatched (草盖的) roof cottages around a church; a drive through a narrow village street lined with thatched cottages painted pink or white; the sight over the rolling hills of a pretty collection of thatched farm buildings—these are still common sights in parts of England. Most people will agree that the thatched roof is an essential part of the attraction of the English countryside.
Thatching is in fact the oldest of all the building crafts practiced in the British Isles(英伦诸岛). Although thatch has always been used for cottage and farm buildings, it was once used for castles and churches too
Thatching is a solitary (独立的) craft, which often runs in families. The craft of thatching as it is practiced today has changed very little since the Middle Ages. Over 800 full-time thatchers are employed in England and Wales today, maintaining and renewing the old roofs as well as thatching newer houses. Many property owners choose thatch not only for its beauty but because they know it will keep them cool in summer and warm in winter.
In fact, if we look at developing countries, over half the world lives under thatch, but they all do it in different ways. People in developing countries are often reluctant to go back to traditional materials and would prefer modern buildings. However, they may lack the money to allow them to import the necessary materials. Their temporary mud huts with thatched roofs of wild grasses often only last six months. Thatch which has been done the British way lasts from twenty to sixty years, and is an effective defiance against the heat.
41. Which of the following remains a unique feature against the heat_______.
A) Narrow streets lined with pink or white houses.
B) Rolling hills with pretty farm buildings.
C) Cottages with thatched roofs.
D) Churches with cottages around them.
42. What do we know about thatching as a craft?
A. It is a collective activity.
B. It is practised on farms all over England.
C. It is quite different from what it used to be.
D. It is in most cases handed down among family members.
43. Thatched houses are still preferred became of .
A) their style and comfort B) their durability
C) their easy maintenance D) their cheap and ready-made materials
44. People in developing countries also live under thatch because .
A) thatched cottages are a big tourist attraction
B) thatched roof houses are the cheapest
C) thatch is an effective defense against the heat
D) they like thatched houses better than other buildings
45. We can learn from the passage that .
A) thatched cottages in England have been passed down from ancient times.
B) thatching is a building craft first created by the English people.
C) the English people have a special liking for thatched houses.
D) most thatched cottage in England are located on hillsides.
参考答案 41-45CDABC
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B
President Coolidge’s statement, “The business of America is business,” still points to an important truth today—that business institutions have more prestige (威望) in American society than any other kind of organization, including the government. Why do business institutions possess this great prestige?
One reason is that Americans view business as being more firmly based on the ideal of competition than other institutions in society. Since competition is seen as the major source of progress and prosperity by most Americans, competitive business institutions are respected. Competition is not only good in itself, it is the means by which other basic American values such as individual freedom, equality of opportunity, and hard work are protected.
Competition protects the freedom of the individual by ensuring that there is no monopoly(垄断) of power. In contrast to one, all-powerful government, many businesses compete against each other for profits. Theoretically, if one business tries to take unfair advantage of its customers, it will lose to competing business which treats its customers more fairly. Where many businesses compete for the customers’ dollar, they cannot afford to treat them like inferiors or slaves.
A contrast is often made between business, which is competitive, and government, which is a monopoly. Because business is competitive, many Americans believe that it is more supportive of freedom than government, even though government leaders are elected by the people and business leaders are not. Many Americans believe, then, that competition is as important, or even more important, than democracy in preserving freedom.
Competition in business is also believed to strengthen the ideal of equality of opportunity. Competition is seen as an open and fair race where success goes to the swiftest person regardless of his or her social class background. Competitive success is commonly seen as the American alternative to social rank based on family background. Business is therefore viewed as and expression of the idea of equality of opportunity rather than the aristocratic(贵族的)idea of inherited privilege.
46. The statement “The business of America is business” probably means“________”.
A) The business institutions in America are concerned with commerce
B) Business problems are of great importance to the American government
C) Business is of primary concern to Americans
D) America is a great power in world business
47. Americans believe that they can realize their personal values only
A) when given equality of opportunity B) through doing business
C) by protecting their individual freedom D) by way of competition
48. Who can benefit from business competition?
A) Honest businessmen.
B) Both businessmen and their customers.
C) People with ideals of equality and freedom
D) Both business institutions and government.
49. Government is believed to differ strikingly from business in that government is characterized by ________.
A. its absolute control of power
B) its function in preserving personal freedom
C) its role in protecting basic American values
D) its democratic way of exercising leadership
50. It can be inferred from the passage that the author believes .
A) Americans are more ambitious than people in other countries
B) in many countries success often depends on one’s social status
C) American businesses are more democratic than those in other countries
D) businesses in other countries are not as competitive as those in America
参考答案 46-50 CDBAB
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C
The appeal of advertising to buying motives can have both negative and positive effects. Consumers may be convinced to buy a product of poor quality or high price because of an advertisement. For example, some advertisers appealed to people’s desire for better fuel economy for their cars by advertising automotive products that improve gasoline mileage. Some of the products work.. Others are worthless and a waste of consumers’ money.
Sometimes advertising is intentionally misleading. A few years ago a brand of bread was offered to dieters (节食者) with the message that there were fewer calories (热量单位，大卡) in every slice. It turned out that the bread was not dietetic (适合于节食的), but just regular bread. There were fewer calories because it was sliced very thin, but there were the same number of calories in every loaf.
On the positive side, emotional appeals may respond to a consumer’s real concerns. Consider fire insurance. Fire insurance may be sold by appealing to fear of loss. But fear of loss is the real reason for fire insurance. The security of knowing that property is protected by insurance makes the purchase of fire insurance a worthwhile investment for most people. If consumers consider the quality of the insurance plans as the message in the ads, they will benefit from the advertising.
Each consumer must evaluate her or his own situation. Are the benefits of the product important enough to justify buying it? Advertising is intended to appeal to consumers, but it does not force them to buy the product. Consumers still control the final buying decision.
51. Advertising can persuade the consumer to buy worthless products by ________.
A. stressing their high quality
B. convincing him of their low price
C. maintaining a balance between quality and price
D. appealing to his buying motives
52. The reason why the bread advertisement is misleading is that ________.
A. thin slices of bread could contain more calories
B. the loaf was cut into regular slices
C. the bread was not genuine bread
D. the total number of calories in the loaf remained the same
53. The passage tells us that _________.
A. sometimes advertisements really sell what the consumer needs
B. advertisements occasionally force consumers into buying things they don’t need
C. the buying motives of consumers are controlled by advertisements
D. fire insurance is seldom a worthwhile investment
54. It can be inferred from the passage that a smart consumer should ________.
A. think carefully about the benefits described in the advertisements
B. guard against the deceiving nature of advertisements
C. be familiar with various advertising strategies
D. avoid buying products that have strong emotional appeal
55. The passage is mainly about _________.
A. how to make a wise buying decision
B. ways to protect the interests of the consumer
C. the positive and negative aspects of advertising
D. the function of advertisements in promoting sales
参考答案 51-55 DDAAC
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