英语阅读（二）试题_全国2009年1月自考试卷

           英语阅读（二）试题_全国2009年1月自考试卷

I. Reading Comprehension. (50 points, 2 points for each)
Directions: In this part of the test, there are five passages. Following each passage, there are five questions with four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the best answer and then write the corresponding letter on your Answer Sheet.
Passage One
Before going into camp there are many things for the camper to learn if he does not know how, and one of these things is how to make a fire. If one has matches, kindling and wood, there is no trick in making a campfire, but there is a good trick in making a fire where there are no matches and the wood is green or wet.
Our own Indians get fire by rotating a hard upright stick in a cup-shaped hollow of lighter wood, in which dry charcoal or the shavings of punk were placed. Cotton and any other substances that catch a flame easily would answer as well. This is getting fire by friction.
Camps are either temporary, that is changed from day to day, or they are permanent and may be visited year after year, or they may be used for a few weeks at a time.
During the autumn and when the weather is dry and the nights not too cool, the best way to camp is in the open, sleeping on beds of boughs, about a roaring fire, and with one blanket under and another over.
Small dog tents, like the ones our soldiers carried in the Civil War, are cheap and very convenient. Each man carried a section, and two made a tent, into which two men crawled when it rained, but in dry weather they preferred to sleep in the open, even when it was freezing.
Shelters of boughs, arranged in an A-framed fashion from a ridge pole make good temporary shelters and are first rate as windbreaks at night.
A shack built of crossed logs requires some time to build and some skill to make, but it is not beyond the reach of any boy who has seen — and who has not — an old-fashioned log shanty.
But all boys, even trained foresters, are apt to get lost in strange woods. Every one, however, should know what to do in such a circumstance. As a rule the denser growth of moss on trees is on the north side. This knowledge may help find the direction, but it is better to carry a small pocket compass.
When the sky is clear, the sun and the stars help to guide the course, and if they are followed one is saved from traveling in a circle, as the lost are pretty sure to do in a dense forest.
If twigs are broken from bushes they will serve to show the course to those out searching. A good plan is to follow down the course of a stream, which always flows into a larger body of water and will lead to some abode. If a hill is accessible, the lay of the land may be had from its summit.
In any event, should you be lost, do not get rattled. You will be missed in camp and a search will be made by your friends.
Questions 1-5 are based on Passage One.
1. “There is no trick in making a campfire”(Para. 1). The word “trick” means ______.
A. magic  B. deception
C. skill  D. difficulty
2. The writer gives the example of how Indians made a fire to show ______.
A. the native Indians were good at making tricks
B. hunters in the West were clever in using tools
C. campers need to use primitive tools for survival
D. campers should have some knowledge about the natives
3. Which camp does the writer prefer according to the passage?
A. Elaborate camps that boys like to build themselves.
B. Small dog tents that soldiers carried in the Civil War.
C. Camps of A-framed fashion that are put up against wind.
D. Camps that are for a temporary use and simply set.
4. To find one’s way out, the writer recommends ______.
A. finding the direction by breaking twigs
B. following down a stream leading to the summit
C. using a portable instrument that shows directions
D. looking at the sky to avoid traveling in a circle
5. What writing method is applied in the passage?
A. Arguing.  B. Explaining.
C. Retelling.  D. Reasoning.
Passage Two
It is all very well to blame traffic jams, the cost of petrol and the quick pace of modern life, but manners on the roads are becoming horrible. Everybody knows that the nicest men become monsters behind the wheel. It is all very well, again, to have a tiger behind the wheel, but to have one in the driver’s seat is another matter altogether. You might tolerate the odd road-hog, the rude and inconsiderate, but nowadays the well-mannered motorist is the exception to the rule. Perhaps the situation calls for “Be Kind to Other Drivers” campaign, otherwise it may get completely out of hand.
Road politeness is not good manners, but good sense too. It takes the most coolheaded and good-tempered of drivers to resist the temptation to revenge when subjected to uncivilized behavior. On the other hand, a little politeness goes a long way towards relieving the tensions of motoring. A friendly nod or a wave of acknowledgements of goodwill and tolerance is necessary in modern traffic conditions. But such acknowledgements of politeness are all too rare today. Many drivers nowadays don’t even seem able to recognize politeness when they see it.
However, misplaced politeness can also be dangerous. Typical examples are the driver who brakes violently to allow a car to emerge from a side street at some hazard to following traffic, when a few seconds later the road would be clear anyway; or the man who waves a child across a zebra crossing into the path of oncoming vehicles that may be unable to stop in time. The same goes for encouraging old ladies to cross the road wherever and whenever they care to. It always amazes me that the highways are not covered with the dead bodies of these grannies. A veteran driver, whose manners are faultless, told me it would help if motorists learn to filter correctly into traffic streams one at a time without causing the total blockages that give rise to bad temper. Unfortunately, modern motorists can’t even learn to drive, let alone master the subtler aspects of roadsmanship.
Years ago experts warned us that the car-ownership explosion would demand a lot more give-and-take from all road users. It is high time for all of us to take this message to heart.
Questions 6-10 are based on Passage Two.
6. According to the passage, troubles on the road are primarily caused by ______.
A. people’s attitude towards the road-hogs
B. the rhythm of modern life
C. the behavior of the driver
D. the horrible traffic conditions
7. The sentence “You might tolerate the odd road-hog...the rule.” (Para. 1) implies that ______.
A. nowadays impolite drivers constitute the majority of motorists
B. rude and impolite drivers can be met only occasionally
C. the well-mannered motorist cannot tolerate the road-hog
D. our society is unjust towards well-mannered motorists
8. By “good sense”(Para.2), the writer means ______.
A. the driver’s ability to understand and react reasonably
B. the driver’s prompt response to difficult and severe conditions
C. the driver’s tolerance of rude or even savage behavior
D. the driver’s acknowledgement of politeness and regulations
9. Experts have long pointed out that in the face of car-ownership explosion ______.
A. drivers will suffer great loss if they pay no respect to others
B. drivers should have more communication among themselves
C. drivers should be ready to yield to each other
D. road users should make more sacrifice
10. In the writer’s opinion ______.
A. strict traffic regulations are badly needed
B. drivers should apply road politeness properly
C. rude drivers should be punished
D. drivers should avoid traffic jams
Passage Three
One period of our lives when superior results are demanded of us is, strangely enough, childhood. D