第4部分：閱讀理解（第31—45題，每題3分，共45分）
下面有3篇短文，每篇短文后有5道題，每道題后面有4個(gè)選項(xiàng)。請根據(jù)文章的內(nèi)容，從每題所給的4個(gè)選項(xiàng)中選擇1個(gè)答案，涂在答題卡相應(yīng)的位置上。
第一篇
Eta Carinae
As possibly the galaxy’s (銀河) most massive star, Eta Carinae is now engaging in some very unusual behaviour. Australian astronomers, being in the Southern Hemisphere (半球), are able to observe it clearly.
In the 19th century, Eta Carinae was for a time the third brightest star in the sky. It has now become less bright so that binoculars (雙筒望遠(yuǎn)鏡 )are needed to see it. “It seems to be brightening and becoming less bright over a period of many years”, said Dr Bob Duncan from the Australia Telescope National Facility.
While it is not unusual for stars to vary in brightness, the period is usually much shorter. “Since 1992 it has become four times brighter, and then last year it began to drop dramatically,” he said.
The problem in observing Eta Carinae is that it has been surrounded by a cloud of gas and dust, making it hard to see the star directly. However, radio waves and infrared light (紅外線)can pass through this cloud, so telescopes that receive these wavelengths can observe what is occurring.
Eta Carinae is of particular interest to astronomers because it seems to be in its death throes（劇痛）. Being so large it will end up as a supernova (超新星). There has not been a supernova in our galaxy since the invention of the telescope. While a 1987 explosion in a nearby galaxy gave astronomers plenty of valuable data, they are hungry for an even closer look.
Eta Carinae has other unique features, and is the only star known to produce an ultraviolet(紫外線)laser that is brighter than that produced by the Sun. Lasers have been observed in other frequencies from a few stars.
31. Eta Carinae is now engaging in
A. some very common behaviour
B. some very dull behaviour
C. some very frightening behaviour.
D. some very strange behaviour
32. The word “period” in Paragraph 3 means the length of time
A. over which star vary in brightness
B. for which Eta carinae’s brightening lasts.
C. Eta carinae takes to become a supernova.
D. it takes the laser from Eta carinae to travel to the earth.
33. Eta Carinae is hard to observe because
A. it is too far away.
B. there is too much dust and gas around it.
C. the binoculars are not powerful enough.
D. it does not send out infrared light.
34. Astronomers are particularly interested in Eta Carinae because
A. it is in its final stage.
B. it is a supernova.
C. it exploded in 1987.
D. it is brighter than the sun.
35. Which of the following statements about Eta Carinae is NOT true?
A. It will end up as a supernova.
B. It can be seen only through binoculars.
C. It is the only star that sends out an ultraviolet laser.
D. Its ultraviolet laser is brighter than that of the Sun.
第二篇 New Foods and the New World
In the last 500 years, nothing about people – not their clothes, ideas, or languages – has changed as much as what they eat. The original chocolate drink was made from the seeds of the coca tree (可可樹)by South American Indians. The Spanish introduced it to the rest of the world during the 1500’s. And although it was very expensive, it quickly became fashionable. In London, shops where chocolate drinks were served became important meeting places. Some still exist today.
The potato is also from the New World. Around 1600, the Spanish brought it from Peru to Europe, where it soon was widely grown. Ireland became so dependent on it that thousands of Irish people starved when the crop failed during the “Potato Famine(饑荒)” of 1845-1846, and thousands more were forced to leave their homeland and move to America.
There are many other foods that have traveled from South America to the Old World. But some others went in the opposite direction. Brazil is now the world’s largest grower of coffee, and coffee is an important crop in Colombia and other South American countries. But it is native to Ethiopia, a country in Africa. It was first made into a drink by Arab during the 1400’s.
According to an Arabic legend, coffee was discovered when a person name Kaldi noticed that his goats were attracted to the red berries on a coffee bush. He tried one and experienced the “wide-awake” feeling that one-third of the world’s population now starts the day with.
下面有3篇短文，每篇短文后有5道題，每道題后面有4個(gè)選項(xiàng)。請根據(jù)文章的內(nèi)容，從每題所給的4個(gè)選項(xiàng)中選擇1個(gè)答案，涂在答題卡相應(yīng)的位置上。
第一篇
Eta Carinae
As possibly the galaxy’s (銀河) most massive star, Eta Carinae is now engaging in some very unusual behaviour. Australian astronomers, being in the Southern Hemisphere (半球), are able to observe it clearly.
In the 19th century, Eta Carinae was for a time the third brightest star in the sky. It has now become less bright so that binoculars (雙筒望遠(yuǎn)鏡 )are needed to see it. “It seems to be brightening and becoming less bright over a period of many years”, said Dr Bob Duncan from the Australia Telescope National Facility.
While it is not unusual for stars to vary in brightness, the period is usually much shorter. “Since 1992 it has become four times brighter, and then last year it began to drop dramatically,” he said.
The problem in observing Eta Carinae is that it has been surrounded by a cloud of gas and dust, making it hard to see the star directly. However, radio waves and infrared light (紅外線)can pass through this cloud, so telescopes that receive these wavelengths can observe what is occurring.
Eta Carinae is of particular interest to astronomers because it seems to be in its death throes（劇痛）. Being so large it will end up as a supernova (超新星). There has not been a supernova in our galaxy since the invention of the telescope. While a 1987 explosion in a nearby galaxy gave astronomers plenty of valuable data, they are hungry for an even closer look.
Eta Carinae has other unique features, and is the only star known to produce an ultraviolet(紫外線)laser that is brighter than that produced by the Sun. Lasers have been observed in other frequencies from a few stars.
31. Eta Carinae is now engaging in
A. some very common behaviour
B. some very dull behaviour
C. some very frightening behaviour.
D. some very strange behaviour
32. The word “period” in Paragraph 3 means the length of time
A. over which star vary in brightness
B. for which Eta carinae’s brightening lasts.
C. Eta carinae takes to become a supernova.
D. it takes the laser from Eta carinae to travel to the earth.
33. Eta Carinae is hard to observe because
A. it is too far away.
B. there is too much dust and gas around it.
C. the binoculars are not powerful enough.
D. it does not send out infrared light.
34. Astronomers are particularly interested in Eta Carinae because
A. it is in its final stage.
B. it is a supernova.
C. it exploded in 1987.
D. it is brighter than the sun.
35. Which of the following statements about Eta Carinae is NOT true?
A. It will end up as a supernova.
B. It can be seen only through binoculars.
C. It is the only star that sends out an ultraviolet laser.
D. Its ultraviolet laser is brighter than that of the Sun.
第二篇 New Foods and the New World
In the last 500 years, nothing about people – not their clothes, ideas, or languages – has changed as much as what they eat. The original chocolate drink was made from the seeds of the coca tree (可可樹)by South American Indians. The Spanish introduced it to the rest of the world during the 1500’s. And although it was very expensive, it quickly became fashionable. In London, shops where chocolate drinks were served became important meeting places. Some still exist today.
The potato is also from the New World. Around 1600, the Spanish brought it from Peru to Europe, where it soon was widely grown. Ireland became so dependent on it that thousands of Irish people starved when the crop failed during the “Potato Famine(饑荒)” of 1845-1846, and thousands more were forced to leave their homeland and move to America.
There are many other foods that have traveled from South America to the Old World. But some others went in the opposite direction. Brazil is now the world’s largest grower of coffee, and coffee is an important crop in Colombia and other South American countries. But it is native to Ethiopia, a country in Africa. It was first made into a drink by Arab during the 1400’s.
According to an Arabic legend, coffee was discovered when a person name Kaldi noticed that his goats were attracted to the red berries on a coffee bush. He tried one and experienced the “wide-awake” feeling that one-third of the world’s population now starts the day with.