评论
打印
II 阅读 (共两节，满分50分)
第一节 阅读理解 (共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分)
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
Holi is the Hindu festival of colors. It is celebrated at the end of the winter season, on the last full moon day of the lunar month Phalguna. In 2014, Holi was celebrated on March 17.
Holi is celebrated by Hindus all over the world. Holi celebrations begin on the eve of the festival with bonfires and prayers. On the day of Holi, people throw colored powder and liquids at each other. A common greeting during this time is, “Happy Holi.”
Holi celebrations are particularly wild and uncontrolled in India as social rules are relaxed. Colored water is squirted on passers-by, and people are dunked into muddy water. Many people drink bhang, a powerful wine made from a plant. Social differences are temporarily ignored and people of all ages, genders and backgrounds gather together and celebrate the festival. In fact, it is said that one can get away with almost any kind of behavior on the day of Holi by saying “don’t mind, it is Holi.” In addition to the boisterous nature of the festival, this is a time for family members to get together, give gifts, eat special foods and decorate their homes. Overall, this is one of the most spirited and beloved festivals of the Hindu calendar.
The celebration of Holi is described in Hindu historical texts and stories that have passed from generation to generation. Holi commemorates the mythical story of a young boy called Prahlada, the son of the king of demons (恶魔). Unable to tolerate Prahlada’s devotion to Vishnu, a good god, his demon father attempted to kill him several times by poisoning him, throwing him from the top of a mountain, etc. but failed each time. Finally, he ordered his son to sit on a fire on the lap of his demoness sister, Holika, who was protected from the flames. Prahlada accepted his father’s command and survived unharmed from the fire while his sister was burned to death. This story is widely known throughout India, and as with most Hindu tales, it varies slightly in different parts of the country.
26. The passage is written to ________.
A. report the celebration of an Indian festival
B. explain why Holi is important to Indians
C. introduce a popular Indian festival
D. tell the origin of an Indian festival
27. The underlined word “boisterous” in Paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to ________.
A. colourful and crazy B. lively and energetic
C. dirty and angry D. peaceful and quiet
28. During the festival of Holi, people do the following EXCEPT ________.
A. colour their faces and bodies and drink muddy water
B. get together with the family and enjoy special food
C. throw coloured powder and give gifts to friends
D. say prayers and celebrate with bonfires
29. What can we infer from the passage?
A. India is a country with relaxed social rules.
B. Bhang is a very popular daily drink in India.
C. Criminals will be forgiven if they celebrate Holi.
D. Social class differences are very obvious in India.
30. According to the last paragraph, Holi was originally celebrating ________.
A. the end of winter
B. the birth of a god
C. victory of good against bad
D. love between family members
B
They tell us when to get up or when we’re running late for work and whether we are in danger of missing our favourite TV programme. But while our daily routines rely on clocks that tell us the time, science is discovering that our well-being is influenced by a very different kind of timepiece. Circadian rhythms — the human body’s own internal clock — have a powerful influence on our health and behaviour. They are programmed from birth and control functions ranging from temperature and blood pressure to sleep patterns.
In recent years researchers have also discovered that this built-in mechanism can influence everything from the way we react to medicines to how well we learn music.
The latest example, from experts at Harvard University in the US, shows that the human body clock can even dictate whether or not we are likely to tell the truth. Researchers found it was easier for people to fib in the afternoon because, as they were tired, the self control that would normally prevent them from lying started to break down. Tiredness made it harder to resist the temptation to tell lies — especially if it meant they got a financial reward at the end.
“The body clock has a great effect on us all,” says Professor Jim Horne from the Sleep Research Centre at Loughborough University. “Most people tend to feel good around late morning and then decline in the early afternoon. But the time most of us will feel our sharpest is between 6pm and 8pm. That’s because sleepiness tends to build up throughout the day. By early evening our body clock kicks in to wake us up. One reason may be to ensure we get home safely. When our ancestors were coming home after hunting all day their internal clocks kicked in to get them home in one piece.”
So what effects do circadian rhythms have and what’s the best time of day to take advantage of them?
31. The underlined word “They” in the first paragraph refers to ________.
A. our clocks B. scientists and experts
C. our daily routines D. circadian rhythms
32. The research referred to in Paragraph 3 found that people tend to ________.
A. tell lies when they are tired
B. tell lies if they are rewarded
C. lose temper as they become tired
D. break down because they are tired
33. According to the passage, when are people most quick-thinking?
A. In the morning. B. Around midday.
C. In the late afternoon. D. In the early evening.
34. What information will the writer probably present following the last paragraph?
A. Some practical suggestions to prevent people from lying.
B. Examples of how the human body clocks control the body.
C. Examples of the most suitable time to do different activities.
D. An explanation of how the human body clock controls the body.
35. What is the best title for the passage?
A. Rebuild your body clock B. Timing is everything
C. Sleep more, lie less D. Your time is up
