III．Reading Comprehension

Section A

Directions: For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that fits the context.

A detailed study of biological diversity（多樣性）in town and city gardens has found that they offer a vital refuge for animals and plants. It has also fund that many of the ideas about wildlife gardening are not  50  .In fact, small gardens are just as good as big gardens at  51  wildlife, suburban gardens are not always better than city gardens and non-native plants are not always harmful to native insects and birds. Britain’s 16,000,000 gardens are a refuge for hundreds of species of animals and plants that would find it  52   to survive on intensively （精細地）farmed land. According to the study, gardens are amazingly varied even compared to   53  environments that are good for wildlife. Small gardens are more interesting  54  they vary a great deal in botanical environment, All the wildlife responds to the variation.

Ken Thompson of Sheffield University was involved n the first detailed study of the  55  living in British gardens when he and his colleagues surveyed 61 gardens in Sheffield. They really found a(n)  56  diversity of plants and animals. They also identified a range of simple   57  that improved a garden’s environment for wildlife. The top thing is to grow more big trees as these greatly  58  the volume of vegetation in the garden and a lot of  59  means a lot of places to live and a lot of things to eat.   60  , create a pond for insects and frogs. Think before stocking it with fish which will eat insect eggs. Also, it is not wise to light up the garden at night with bright lawn lamps, which will  61  many night creatures, Finally, don’t be too tidy: don’t be  62  to clear up everything when the garden stops flowering. Just   63  a bit of things lying around.

To sum up, people who want to turn their gardens into wildlife refuges should  64  and let the grass grow tall, the flowers turn to seed and trees expand skyward.

50．A．true           B．basic         C．vivid         D．simple

51．A．selecting       B．importing     C．offering        D．a(chǎn)ttracting

52．A．impossible       B．illegal           C．lucky         D．convenient

53．A．peaceful       B．warm               C．natural          D．clean

54．A．before          B．unless           C．but            D．because

55．A．wildlife        B．men          C．germ         D．pet

56．A．confusing     B．complete       C．surprising      D．orderly

57．A．measures      B．standards      C．services        D．functions

58．A．occupy         B．increase        C．limit          D．reduce

59．A．vegetation     B．reservation       C．preparation      D．decoration

60．A．By contrast      B．As a result           C．In other words  D．In addition

61．A．block           B．disturb          C．benefit          D．protect

62．A．in a mess      B．in a way       C．in a hurry     D．in a while

63．A．forget           B．remove         C．a(chǎn)void         D．leave

64．A．escape          B．relax         C．strive         D．retire

Ⅲ.　閱讀理解

We spent a day in the country, picking wild flowers. With the car full of flowers we were going home. On our way back my wife noticed a cupboard outside a furniture shop. It was tall and narrow. “Buy it, ” my wife said at once. “We’ll carry it home on the roof rack. I’ve always wanted one like that.”

What could I do? Ten minutes later I was ￡20 poorer; and the cupboard was tied on the roof rack. It was six feet long and eighteen inches square, quite heavy too.

In the gathering darkness I drove slowly. Other drivers seemed unusually polite that evening. The police even stopped traffic to let us through. Carrying furniture was a good idea.

After a time my wife said, “There’s a long line of cars behind. Why don’t they overtake, I wonder?” In fact a police car did overtake. The two officers inside looked at us seriously as they passed. But then, with great kindness, they led us through the rush-hour traffic. The police car stopped at our village church. One of the officers came to me.

“Right, sir, ” he said. “Do you need any more help?”

I was a bit puzzled. “Thanks, officer, ” I said. “You have been very kind. I live just on the road.”

He was staring at our car, first at the flowers, then at the cupboard. “Well, well, ” he said, laughing. “It’s a cupboard you’ve got there! We thought it was something else.”

My wife began to laugh. The truth hit me like a stone between the eyes. I smiled at the officer. “Yes, it’s a cupboard, but thanks again.” I drove home as fast as I could.

36. In fact the husband _______ the cupboard.

A. would like very much to buy                         B. badly wanted 

C. was glad to have bought                                D. would rather not buy

37. Other drivers thought they were _______.

A. carrying a cupboard to the church                  B. sending flowers to the church

C. carrying nothing but a piece of furniture         D. going to attend a funeral at the church

38. The police will be more polite to those who are _______.

A. driving in gathering darkness                        B. in great sorrow

C. driving with wild glowers in the car        D. carrying furniture

39. What did the husband think of this matter?

A. It was very strange.                                      B. He felt ashamed of it.

C. He took great pride in it.                               D. He was puzzled at it.

David will probably ___, but Martha must leave early.

A. stay late   B. be late to stay   C. being late    D. staying late

___ from Beijing to London!

A.How long way it is   B.What a long way is it  C.How long way is it  D.What a long way it is

If you keep on, you’ll succeed___.

A. in time    B. at one time   C. at the same time    D. on time

--What are you busy doing these days? ---___ the college entrance examinations.

A. Myself preparing    B. Preparing myself for   C. To make prepartions   D. To prepare myself with

They forced ____ little children to work all day for so little money____ everyone couldn’t

bear that.

  A. so; as            B. so; that       C. such; as        D. such; that

Swimmers must be very strong in order to build up speed because of the high resistance of the water. Runners, ____, must struggle against the heavy resistance of the air and ground.

A. generally               B. similarly                 C. naturally           D. probably

— Did you go to the party last night?

　　— Yes. And I’d rather ________. It was so________.

　　A. not go; tiresome　　　　　　　  B. not have gone; exciting

　　C. not have gone; tiring　　　　　　        D. go; interesting 

There is an English saying: "Laughter is best medicine." Until recently, few people took the saying seriously. Now, however, doctors have begun to look into laughter and the effects it has on the human body. They have found that laughter really can improve people's health.

Tests were carried out to study the effects of laughter on the body. People watched funny films while doctors checked their heart, blood pressure, breathing and muscles. It was found that laughter has similar effects to physical exercises. It increases blood pressure, the heart beating and breathing; it also works several groups of muscles in the face, the stomach, and even the feet. If laughter exercises the body, it must be beneficial.

Other tests have shown that laughter appears to be able to reduce the effect of pain on the body. In one experiment doctors produced pain in groups of students who listened to different radio programs. The group that tolerated(忍受) the pain for the longest time was the groups which listened to a funny program. The reason why laughter can reduce pain seems to be that it helps to produce a kind of chemicals in the brain which diminish both stress and pain.

As a result of these discoveries, some doctors in the United States now hold laughter clinics, in which they help to improve their patients' condition by encouraging them to laugh. They have found that even if their patients do not really feel like laughing, making them smile is enough to produce beneficial effects similar to those caused by laughter.

63. Doctors have proved the following except that ____________.

A. smiling does good to health                   B. laughter can be tolerated

C. there is a way to reduce pain                  D. laughter can work the muscles in the feet

64. The main idea of the passage is ____________.

A. laughter and physical exercises have similar effects on the human body

B. smile can produce the same effects as laughter

C. pain can be reduced by laughter

D. laughter is best medicine

65. The underlined word "diminish" is similar to____________.

A. test            B. stop           C. reduce            D. increase

66. Doctors hold laughter clinics _____.

A. to give better condition to their patients

B. in order to improve patients' health

C. to make patients smile

D. to prove smile and laughter have the same effect