第4部分：阅读理解

　　下面有3篇短文，每篇短文后有5道题。请根据短文内容，为每题确定1个最佳选项。

　　第一篇

Storms sink ships

　　Rescuers have found the bodies of over 130 people killed in two ferry disasters in Bangladesh. The accidents happened during a storm that hit the country on April 21. Hundreds more are missing or feared dead.

　　The two ferries sank in different rivers near the capital city of Dhaka as strong winds and rain hit the South Asian country.

　　The government has since banned a11 ferries and other boats from traveling at night during the April-May stormy season.

　　One of the ferries，MV Mitali，was carrying far more people than it was supposed to. About 400 passengers fitted into a space made for just 300，police said. The second ferry carried about 1 00 passengers.

　　"The number of deaths is certain to rise." said an official in charge of the rescue work. "No one really knows how many people were on board the ferry or how many of them survived."

　　Ferries in Bangladesh don't always keep passenger lists，making it difficult to determine the exact number of people on board.

　　Besides the ferry accidents，at least 40 people were killed and 400 injured by lightning strikes, falling houses and trees and the sinking of small boats.

　　Storms are common this time of year in Bangladesh，as are boating accidents. Ferry disasters take away hundreds of lives every year in a nation of 130 million people.

　　Officials blame these river accidents on a lack of safety measures, too many passengers in boats and not enough checks on weather conditions.

　　Ferries are a common means of transport in Bangladesh. It is a country covered by about 230 rivers. Some 20，000 ferries use the nation's Waterways every year. And many of them are dangerously overcrowded.

　　Since 1977, more than 3, 000 people have died in some 260 boating accidents.

　　1 How many people have been found dead in the two ferry disasters?

　　A More than 130．

　　B Over 3, 000．

　　C About 400．

　　D At least 40．

　　2 The two ferry disasters occurred

　　A at noon．

　　B in the morning．

　　C at night．

　　D In the afternoon．

　　3 How many passengers was MV Mitali designed to carry?

　　A 440．

　　B 100．

　　C 400．

　　D 300．

　　4 Officials attribute boating accident to

　　A Strong winds．

　　B Bad weather conditions．

　　C Blockages of waterways．

　　D Lack of safety measures．

　　5 Which of the following statements is NOT true of the two ferry disasters?

　　A They traveled during the April-May stormy season．

　　B They sank on April 21．

　　C The exact number of deaths could be easily determined．

　　D They sank somewhere near Dhaka．

　　第二篇

Saving Money

　　Where you save your money often depends on what you are saving for. If you are saving to buy a dictionary or to go to a concert, then probably keep your money somewhere in your room.

　　If you are saving for a big purchase like a mountain bike or a school trip, where would you save your money?

　　One place to save money is the bank. Putting your money in a savings account will help your money earn more money. If you put your money in a piggy bank（猪形储蓄罐）, one year later you'll still have the same amount of money you put in. If you put your money in a savings account, one year later, you'll have more money than you put in. Why?

　　When you keep your money in a bank, your money earns interest. Interest is the amount of money a bank pays you to use your money. The bank uses your money （and the money of other people, too） to loan money to people and businesses.

　　The bank will send you a statement several times a year. A bank statement tells you how much money there is in your account. It also tells you how much interest you have earned. If you leave your money in the bank, you can watch it grow!

　　Another way you can save money is to buy a certificate of deposit or CD. If you have some money that you don't need to use for a long time, this is a good way to make your money grow.

　　You can buy a CD at a bank. You agree not to use the money for a certain period of time. That period might be from six months to five years. You can't touch your money during that time. If you do, you must pay a penalty, or fee.

　　Since the bank is using your money for that time period, it will pay you interest. You will earn more interest with a CD than in a savings account. Can you guess why? It's because you promise to leave your money in the bank for a certain period of time. Banks pay different rates of interest. So, you may want to compare rates in newspaper ads before buying a CD.

　　6 Which way will help your money earn more money?

　　A Putting your money in your room.

　　B Putting your money in a piggy bank.

　　C Putting your money in your pocket.

　　D Putting your money in a savings account.

　　7 Interest is the amount of money which

　　A a bank lends to people.

　　B a bank loans to businesses.

　　C a bank pays you.

　　D a bank uses.

　　8 A bank statement tells you

　　A the amount of money you have in the bank.

　　B the current rates of interest.

　　C the current rates of exchange.

　　D the best way to save your money.

　　9 If you draw your money before it is due

　　A you have to pay interest to the bank.

　　B you have to close your account

　　C you have to open a new account.

　　D you have to pay a penalty or fee.

　　10 The word "touch" in paragraph 7 could be best replaced by

　　A "deposit".

　　B "borrow".

　　C "use".

　　D "cash".

　　第三篇

Two People, Two Paths

　　You must be familiar with the situation：Dad's driving, Mum's telling him where to go. He's sure that they need to turn left. But she says it's not for another two blocks. Who has the better sense of direction? Men or women.

　　They both do, a new study says, but in different ways.

　　Men and women, Canadian researchers have found, have different methods of finding their way. Men look quickly at landmarks and head off in what they think is the right direction. Women, however, try to picture the whole route in detail and then follow the path in their head.

　　"Women tend to be more detailed," said Edward Cornell, who led the study, "while men tend to be a little bit faster and …… a little bit more intuitive."

　　In fact, said Cornell, "sense of direction" isn't one skill but two.

　　The first is the "survey method". This is when you see all area from above, such as a printed map. You can see, for example, where the hospital is, where the church is and that the supermarket is on its right.

　　The second skill is the "route method". This is when you use a series of directions. You start from the hospital, then turn left, turn fight, go uphill and then you see the supermarket.

　　Men are more likely to use the survey method while women are more likely to use one route and follow directions.

　　Both work, and neither is better.

　　Some scientists insist that these different skills have a long history. They argue it is because of the difference in traditional roles.

　　In ancient times, young men often went far away with the older men to fish or hunt. The trip took hours or days and covered unfamiliar places. The only way to know where you were was to use the survey method to remember landmarks-the mountains, the lakes and so on.

　　The women, on the other hand, took young girls out to find fruits and plants. These activities were much closer to home but required learning well-used paths. So, women's sense of space was based on learning certain routes.

　　11 When finding his way， Dad tends to rely on

　　A his intuitive knowledge

　　B his book knowledge

　　C Mum's assistance

　　D the police's assistance

　　12 Women are more likely to use

　　A the survey method

　　B the traditional method

　　C the route method

　　D the right method

　　13 Which works better, the route method or the survey method?

　　A The survey method.

　　B The route method.

　　C Either.

　　D Neither.

　　14 Which of the following is NOT a landmark?

　　A A long river.

　　B A high mountain.

　　C A magnificent church.

　　D A path in your head.

　　15 Women developed a sense of space out of the need

　　A to go fishing

　　B to go hunting

　　C to learn well-used paths

　　D to go swimming

　　【参考答案】

　　1. A 2. C 3. D 4. C 5. C

　　6. D 7. C 8. A 9. D 10. C

　　11. A 12. C 13. D 14. D 15. C