Reading Comprehension
Directions: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or
unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose
the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage.
A
I used to believe in the American dream that meant a job, credit, success. I wanted it and
worked toward it like everyone else, all of us separately chasing the same thing.
One year, through a series of unhappy events, it all fell apart. I found myself homeless and
alone. I had my truck and $56. I searched the countryside for some place I could rent for the
cheapest possible amount. I came upon a deserted cottage in a small remote valley. I hadn't been
alone for 25 years. I was scared, but I hoped the hard work would distract and heal me.
I found the owner and rented the place for $50 a month. The locals knew nothing about me.
But slowly they started teaching me the art of being a neighbor. They dropped off blankets, tools
and canned deer meat and began sticking around to chat. They would ask if I wanted to meet cousin
Albie or go fishing. They started to teach me a belief in a different American dream, not the one of
individual achievement but of neighborliness. Men would stop by with wild berries, ice cream,
truck parts to see if I needed some. The women on that mountain worked harder than any I'd ever
met. They taught me how to store food in the stream and keep it cold and safe. I learned to keep
enough for an extra plate for company.
What I had believed in, all those things I thought were necessary for a civilized life, were
non-existent in this place. Up on the mountain, my most valuable possessions were my
relationships with my neighbors.
After four years in that valley, I moved back into town. I saw a lot of people were having a
really hard time, losing their jobs and homes. With the help of a real estate broker (房地产经纪人) I
chatted up at the grocery store, I managed to rent a big enough house to take in a handful of people.
It's four of us now, but over time I've had nine come in and move on to other places from here.
We'd all be in shelters if we hadn't banded together.
The American dream I believe in now is a shared one. It's not so much about what l can get
for myself; it's about how we can all get by together.
56. In the past, the American dream the writer believed in was ______.
A. fame B. big houses C. relationships with neighbors D. sharing
57. Before a series of unhappy events happened, the writer ______.
A. had a well-paid job B. worked hard for his American dream
C. worked hard and liked to share D. felt hopeless about his American dream
58. The underlined sentence in Paragraph 3 most probably mean the writer learned to ______.
A. run a company B. share with others
C. keep enough plates D. save money for his company
59. Why did the writer rent a big house?
A. To make some money. B. To show off his wealth.
C. To share with those people in need. D. To make friends with his neighbors.
60. The writer mainly tells us about ______.
A. his unhappy experiences B. the friendly people in the valley
C. the change of his living conditions D. his new idea of the American dream
B
Walking with long steps on purpose, Barack Obama appears to have arrived to visit an
elementary school he attended as a boy. But wait. It's not real Obama. The US president is back in
Washington DC.
So who is this guy? He's Ilham Anas, 34, a teen-magazine photographer who has taken
advantage of his striking resemblance to Obama and turned it into his own brand of celebrity and
wealth.
Since his sister told him in 2007 that he looked like the then-presidential candidate, Ana's face
and big smile have been seen on Southeast Asian TV and the Internet, appearing in the
advertisements of medicine and other products. He has also shown up on his nation's
television-talk show. Anas' resemblance to the president has turned his life around 180 degrees.
He's even written an autobiography Because of Obama.
Anas is the first to admit that he's an Impostor(冒牌货). But he'll also tell you that he's in
incredible demand. "I've got so much work I can't handle it all," he said.
But when his sister first mentioned the resemblance, he dismissed it. Then a colleague at the
magazine asked him to pose as Obama in front of a US flag. He also refused. "I'm a photographer,
not an object for the camera," he said.
As soon as he accepted the idea, his career took off. The married father of two children is
rarely home these days. Recently a group of reporters followed him on a tour of the elementary
school Obama once attended. Anas sat in the classroom where the president studied. He spoke a
few lines in English. The moment he opened his mouth, however, the differences became apparent.
"Obama is a baritone(男中音),'' Anas said. "I'm not. I sound like a little boy." He is also shorter
than the president. But he makes up for that by practising Obama's typical actions. Before public
appearances, he spends hours in front of the mirror posing, gesturing, flashing that smile.
Arias said he hasn't changed his appearance much for the role. He wears his hair just like he
did in high school. But he did shape his eyebrows to look more like those of the president.
He used to dislike looking into the mirror because of his average appearance. Now he no
longer considers himself as an average guy, but a superstar.
Now, he hopes that Obama will win a second term in the White House. "The longer he's in
office, the longer my fame will last," he said.
61. Ilham Anas becomes well-known because he ______.
A. wrote a biography for President Obama B. looks like President Obama
C. attended the same school as President Obama used to attend
D. played many roles in films
62. Which of the following can't be used to describe Ilham Anas?
A. Famous. B. Wealthy. C. Handsome. D. Busy.
63. The underlined sentence "he's in incredible demand" means ______.
A. his advertisement business is very booming B. he demands better pay from his boss
C. he is planning to increase the production
D. he asks for higher prices for his advertisements
64. Ilham Arias differs from President Obama in that Anas ______.
A. is taller than President Obama B. is older than President Obama
C. is a baritone D. sounds like a little boy
65. We can infer that Anas now
A is proud of his appearance B is not satisfied with his appearance
C often keeps in touch with President Obama D intends to become a politician
C
A new generation addiction is quickly spreading all over the world.
Weboholism, a twentieth century disease, affects people from different ages.
They surf the net, use e-mail and speak in chat rooms. They spend many
hours on the computer, and it becomes a compulsive habit. They cannot stop,
and it affects their lives.
Ten years ago, no one thought that using computers could become
compulsive behavior that could affect the social and physical life of computer users. This
obsessional behavior has affected teenagers and college students. They are likely to log on
computers and spend long hours at different websites.
They become hooked on computers and gradually their social and school life is affected by
this situation. They spend all free time surfing and don't concentrate on homework, so this
addiction influences their grades and success at school. Because they can find everything on the
websites, they hang out there. Moreover, this addiction to websites influences their social life.
They spend more time in front of computers than with their friends. The relation with their
friends changes. The virtual life becomes more important than their real life. They have a new
language that they speak in the chat rooms and it causes cultural changes in society.
Because of the change in their behavior, they begin to isolate themselves from the society and
live with their virtual friends. They share their emotions and feelings with friends who they have
never met in their life. Although they feel confident on the computer, they are not confident with
real live friends they have known all their life. it is a problem for the future. This addictive
behavior is beginning to affect all the world.
66. The main idea of the passage is about the ______of weboholism.
A. cause B. advantage C. popularity D. influence
67. The underlined word "obsessional" in the second paragraph most probably means ______.
A. attractive B. addictive C. professional D. potential
68. We can infer from the passage that ______.
A. weboholism has the greatest effect on teenagers
B. students can hardly balance real and virtual life
C. people are addicted to games on the Internet
D. virtual life is more vivid and attractive anyway
69. Which of the following is NOT true of weboholism?
A. It contributes to the development of the web.
B. The chat room language may change social culture.
C. The problem will be getting more and more serious later.
D. People addicted to the web often become inactive in real life.
70. The author's attitude towards weboholism is that of being ______.
A. optimistic B. positive C. oppositive D. acceptable
56-60 ABBCD 61-65 BCADA 66-70 DBBAC
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