Part I Reading Comprehension (共20小题，每小题2分，共40分)
Directions: In this part there are four passages. Each passage is followed by four comprehension questions. Read the passage and answer the questions. Then mark your answer on the Answer Sheet.
Passage 1
Questions 1 to 5 are based on the following passage:
Some years ago the captain of a ship was very interested in medicine. He always took medicine books to sea and liked to talk about different diseases.
One day a lazy sailor on his ship pretended to be ill. He lay on his bunk (铺) and groaned as if he were very sick. The captain came to see him and was very pleased to have a patient to look after. He told the man to rest for a few days and made the other sailors do his work. Three days later another sailor pretended that he had something wrong with his chest. Once more the captain looked in his medical books and told “sick” man to have a rest.
The other sailors were very angry because they had more work to do. The patients had the best food and laughed at their friends when the captain was not looking. At last the mate (船长副手) decided to cure the “sick” men. He mixed up some soap, soot (烟灰), glue (胶水) and other unpleasant things. Then he obtained permission from the captain to give his medicine to the “sick” men. When they tasted the medicine, they really did feel ill. It was so horrible that one of the patients jumped out of hi bunk, ran up on desk and climbed the highest mast on the ship. He did not want any more medicine.
The mate told both of the men that they must take the medicine every half an hour, night and day. This soon cured them. They both said they felt better and wanted to start word again. The captain realized that the men tried to deceive him so he made them work very hard for the rest of the voyage.
1. The first sailor pretended to be ill because he wanted to .
A. test the captain’s knowledge of medicine B. be free from work
C. have the best food on the ship D. play a joke on his friends
2. When the captain knew a sailor was ill, he .
A. didn’t care much B. sent for a doctor
C. looked after him and told him to have a rest D. gave him some medicine
3. The patients felt better quickly because .
A. they had been given proper medicine
B. they learned that the captain had found out the truth
C. they were laughed at by their friends
D. the medicine the mate gave was horrible
4. When the captain knew he had been deceived, he .
A. told them not to do so again B. lost his temper
C. made them work harder D. fired them
5. Which of the following best summarizes the passage?
A. A sudden Cure. B. Two Patients. C. Captain and Sailors. D. A Difficult Voyage.
Passage 2
Questions 6 to 10 are based on the following passage:
When aluminum was first produced about a hundred and fifty years ago, it was so difficult to separate form the ores in which it was found that its price was higher than that of gold. The price remained high until a new process was discovered for refining the metal with the aid of electricity approximately three quarters of a century later. The new method was so much cheaper that aluminum because practical for many purposes, one of which was making pots and pans.
Aluminum is lightweight, rustproof and easily shaped into different forms. By mixing it with other metals, scientists have been able to produce a variety of alloys, some of which have the strength of steel but weigh only one third as much.
Today, the uses of aluminum are innumerable. Perhaps its most important use is in transportation. Aluminum is found in the engine of automobiles, in the hulls of boats. It is also used in many parts of airplanes. In fact, the huge “airbus” planes would probably never have been produced if aluminum did not exist. By making vehicles lighter in weight aluminum has greatly reduced the amount of fuel needed to move them, Aluminum is also being used extensively in the building industry in some countries.
Since aluminum is such a versatile (多用的) metal, it is fortunate that bauxite (铝土矿), which is one of its chief sources, is also one of the earth’s most plentiful substances. As the source of aluminum is almost inexhaustible, we can expect that more and more uses will be found for this versatile metal.
6. The price of aluminum was sharply reduced when people discovered a new refining process with the aid of .
A. wind B. solar energy C. hydraulic power D. electricity
7. Aluminum is .
A. lightweight, rustproof but not easily shaped into different forms
B. heavyweight, rustproof and easily shaped into different forms
C. lightweight, rustproof and easily shaped into different forms
D. lightweight and easily shaped into different forms but it is easy to become rusty
8. Which of the following is NOT true?
A. Aluminum is widely used in transportation.
B. Aluminum is also used in many parts of airplanes.
C. Aluminum is being used extensively in the building industry.
D. Aluminum is not used in its pure form.
9. Aluminum is found on earth mostly in the form of .
A. pure metal B. bauxite C. gold D. liquid
10. What is the passage talking about?
A. The features of aluminum and its functions. B. The process of aluminum.
C. The discovery of aluminum. D. The promising future of aluminum.
