第4部分：阅读理解（第31～45题，每题3分，共45分）
下面有3篇短文，每篇幅短文后有5道题，每题材后面有4个选项。请仔细阅读短文并根据短文回答其后面的问题，从4个选项中选择一个最佳答案涂在答题卡相应的位置上。
第一篇
A Thirsty World
The world is not only hungry, it is also thirsty for water. This may seem strange to you, since nearly 75% of the earth's surface is covered with water. But about 97% of this huge amount is sea-water, or salt water. Man can only drink and use the other 3% - the fresh water that comes from rivers, lakes, underground, and other sources. And we cannot even use all of that, because some of it is in the form of icebergs （冰山） and glaciers （冰川）. Even worse, some of it has been polluted.
At the moment, this small amount of fresh water is still enough for us. However, our need for water is increasing rapidly. Only if we take steps to deal with this problem now can we avoid a severe worldwide water shortage later on. A limited water supply would have a bad effect on agriculture and industry.
In addition to stopping wasting our precious water, one useful step we should take is to develop ways of reusing it. Experiments have already been done in this field, but only on a small scale.
Today, in most large cities, water is used only once and it eventually returns to the sea or runs into underground storage tanks. But it is possible to pipe water that has been used to a purifying （净化） plant. There it can be filtered （过滤） and treated with chemicals so that it can be used again just as if it were fresh from a spring.
But even if every large city purified and reused its water, we still would not have enough. Where could we turn next? To the oceans! All we'd have to do to make use of the vast amount of sea-water is - remove the salt. This salt-removing process is already in use in many parts of the world.
So if we take all these steps, we'll be in no danger of drying up!
31 The phrase "the world" in the first line of the passage refers to
A "man".
B "you".
C "woman".
D "they".
32 What percentage of the earth's water can man actually use at present?
A Nearly 75 per cent.
B About 97 per cent.
C Exactly 3 per cent.
D Less than 3 per cent.
33 According to the passage, we can avoid a worldwide water shortage in the future by
A increasing rainfall.
B reusing water and utilizing sea-water.
C cutting down our consumption of water.
D reducing the number of factories producing steel.
34 Which of the following statements, according to the passage, is NOT true?
A A limited water supply will affect industrial production.
B Every large city purifies and reuses its water.
C Purified water is not exactly as fresh as spring water.
D Oceans are the largest water source.
35 According to the passage, sea-water can be turned into fresh water by
A heating it up.
B treating it with chemicals.
C taking salt out of it.
D drying it up.
第二篇
Life in the Universe
Many scientists today are convinced that life exists elsewhere in the universe —— life probably much like that on our own planet. They reason in the following way.
As far as astronomers （天文学家） can determine, the entire universe is built of the same matter. They have no reason to doubt that matter obeys the same laws in every part of the universe. Therefore, it is reasonable to guess that other stars, with their own planets, were born in the same way as our own solar system. What we know of life on earth suggests that life will arise wherever the proper conditions exist.
Life requires the right amount and kind of atmosphere. This eliminates all those planets in the universe that are not about the same size and weight as the earth. A smaller planet would lose its atmosphere; a larger one would hold too much of it.
Life also requires a steady supply of heat and light. This eliminates double stars, or stars that flare up （闪耀） suddenly. Only single stars that are steady sources of heat and light like our sun would qualify.
Finally, life could evolve only if the planet is just the right distance from its sun. With a weaker sun than our own, the planet would have to be closer to it. With a stronger sun, it would have to be farther away.
If we suppose that every star in the universe has a family of planets, then how many planets might support life? First, eliminate those stars that are not like our sun. Next, eliminate most of their planets; they are either too far from or too close to their suns. Then eliminate all those planets which are not the same size and weight as the earth. Finally, remember that the proper conditions do not necessarily mean that life actually does exist on a planet. It may not have begun yet, or it may have already died out.
This process of elimination seems to leave very few planets on which earthlike life might be found. However, even if life could exist on only one planet in a million, there are so many billions of planets that this would still leave a vast number on which life could exist.
36 Astronomers believe that matter in different parts of the universe
A obeys different laws.
B obeys one common law.
C obeys the same laws.
D obeys no common law.
37 The passage mentions all of the following factors for the existence of life EXCEPT
A the right amount of atmosphere.
B a steady supply of water.
C steady heat and light.
D the right distance from the sun.
38 Which of the following statements is INCORRECT?
A Astronomers believe that the universe is built of the same matter.
B Proper conditions are essential to the existence of life.
C Double stars can provide steady light and heat.
D Astronomers believe that other solar systems are similar in structure to ours.
39 What kind of planet elsewhere in the universe can support life?
A Those double stars' planets.
B Those planets much hotter than our earth.
C Those planets similar to the earth.
D Those planets very close to their suns.
40 At the end of the passage the author suggests that
A it is impossible for life to exist on other planets.
B earthlike life could only exist on a few planets.
C life could exist on only one planet in a million.
D life could exist on a great number of planets.
第三篇
Valuing Childhood
The value of childhood is easily blurred （变得模糊不清） in today's world. Consider some recent developments: The child-murderers in the Jonesboro, Ark. schoolyard shooting case were convicted and sentenced. Two boys, 7 and 8, were charged in the murder of an 11-year-old girl in Chicago.
Children who commit horrible crimes appear to act of their own will. Yet, as legal proceedings in Jonesboro showed, the one boy who was able to address the court couldn't begin to explain his acts, though he tried to apologize. There may have been a motive —— youthful jealousy （妒忌） and resentment. But a deeper question remains: Why did these boys and others in similar trouble apparently lack any inner, moral restraint?
That question echoes for the accused in Chicago, young as they are. They wanted the girl's bicycle, a selfish impulse common enough among kids.
Redemption （拯救） is a practical necessity. How can value be restored to young lives distorted （扭曲） by acts of violence? The boys in Jonesboro and in Chicago will be confined in institutions for a relatively short time. Despite horror at what was done, children cannot be —— dealt with as adults, not if a people wants to consider itself civilized. That's why politicians' cries for adult treatment of youthful criminals ultimately miss the point.
But the moral void （真空） that invites violence has many sources. Family instability （不稳定） contributes. So does economic stress. That void, however, can be filled. The work starts with parents, who have to ask themselves whether they're doing enough to give their children a firm sense of right and wrong. Are they really monitoring their activities and their developing processes of thought?
Schools, too, have a role in building character. So do youth organizations. So do law enforcement agencies, which can do more to inform the young about laws, their meaning, and their observance （遵守）.
The goal, ultimately, is to allow all children a normal passage from childhood to adulthood （成年）, so that tragic gaps in moral judgement are less likely to occur. The relative few who fill such gaps with acts of violence hint at many others who don't go that far, but who lack the moral foundations childhood should provide —— and which progressive human society relies on.
41 The two boys in Chicago were
A shot.
B murdered.
C accused.
D sentenced.
42 The boys in Jonesboro and Chicago apparently lacked a sense of
A right and wrong.
B discipline.
C shame.
D safety.
43 According to politicians, when children commit crimes, they should be treated in the same way as
A murderers.
B criminals.
C victims.
D adults.
44 Which of the following does the writer cite as a source of moral void?
A Official corruption.
B Social injustice.
C Family instability.
D Racial discrimination
45 Which of the statements is NOT true according to this passage?
A Parents should strengthen moral instruction.
B Schools should help create a moral sense in children.
C Law enforcement agencies should do more to help children understand laws.
D Youth organizations play no role in building character.
31. A32. D33. B 34. B35. C
36. C37. B38. C 39. C40. D
41. C42. B43. D 44. C45. D
31. A 第一句的深层意思是“人类不仅面临粮食危机，也面临水资源危机”，因此 “the world” 代指 “man” 。我们也可以从本段第四句判断出来，它的主语是 “man”。
32. D 根据第一段得知，地球上只有3％的水适于人类饮用，然而部分以冰山或冰川的形式存在，还有的被污染，因而实际上人类能用的水要低于3％。
33. B 答题依据在第三段和第四段。第三段提到水的再利用是一个有效缓解水资源不足的方法，第四段提到可以通过净化、过滤等化学方法使得海水变得可饮用。
34. B 第四段的首句提到“多数城市的水只用一次”，因此选项 B 说法错误，其他选项在文中均有体现。
35. C 海水之所以不能饮用就是因为它是咸的。答题依据在第五段，remove the salt 即 take salt out 。
36. C 答题依据在第二段的第二句。科学家没有理由怀疑宇宙中的物质遵循同一法则，即他们相信宇宙中不同地方的物质是遵循同一法则的。
37. B 第三段提到生命需要适量的大气，第四段提到生命需要光和热的稳定供应，第五段提到有生命存在的星球与太阳的距离要适中，文中唯独没有提到水的供应。回答此类问题一定要以文章为依据，文章没提到的不一定就是错的。
38. C 第二段第二句的大意是“这排除了双星及突然闪耀的星体”，此段在讨论生命需要稳定的光和热，因此说明了双星不能提供稳定的光和热。
39. D 答题依据在倒数第二段。由38 解析可得知双星的行星不支持生命；行星也不能过热，与它们的“太阳”的距离也要适中。与地球相似的行星才能支持生命的存在。
40. D 文末提到即使只有百万分之一的行星上可能有生命存在，但宇宙有无数的行星，因此生命可能存在于很多行星上。
41. C 第一段最后一句提到两个小男孩因谋杀另一个小孩被起诉。Charge的意思和accuse的相同：“控告，起诉”。
42. B 第二段最后一句中 “inner and moral restraint” 即 “discipline”, 意思是这两个小孩缺乏内在的道德约束，即缺乏纪律感。
43. D 答题依据在第四段最后一句。大意是：这就是为什么说政治家们所呼吁的用惩治成年人犯罪的方法来处理青少年犯罪是错误的。因此得知政治家们认为应用同样的方法处置青少年犯罪和成人犯罪。
44. C 答题依据在第五段第二句：家庭的不稳定是导致青少年犯罪的原因之一。
45. D 答题依据在第五段和第六段。第五段提到父母应加强对孩子的道德教导，第六段提及到学 校、青年组织机构以及法律执行部门都在塑造孩子性格上起作用。因此 D 错误。