大学英语二级期末考试 阅读理解命题范围

1、Passage 1Charlie Chaplin has broken all records in making people laugh. No one has so set a whole world laughing as the little man with the walking stick and the oversized shoes. Much has been written about Chaplin's art and his career, and opinions have ranged widely. But perhaps those who call

2、ed him "the truest human being of our time" came closest to the truth. Those who have called him a genius stress the timeless and common qualities in his work. It is an art filled with sad elements and deep human feeling, with which an audience cannot help but become involved. It is for th

3、ese reasons, I believe, that the figure of Charlie has attracted generation after generation. All the writers who give accounts of Chaplin's life agree that Charlie's unhappy early years in the area in London where houses were dirty and worn had a great influence on his development and on th

4、e type of films he made. Chaplin himself emphasizes it in his memoirs (回忆录). The more one reads about his earliest period, the more one tends to agree. Indeed, his suffering youth had a lasting influence on him. Chaplin was never afraid to deal with subjects causing much disagreement in his films. H

5、e gave a humorous performance on war only a few weeks before the American soldiers came home from World War I in 1918. This was regarded as madness, but the performance was well received. So perfectly did it hit the nail on the head that even the returning soldiers found it impossible to hate it and

6、 deeply appreciated this short and humorous performance on what for them had been an unpleasant reality. Chaplin gave numerous performances attacking capital governments, satirizing (讽刺) the cruelty of the machine age, and even making fun of Hitler. Years after his death, the funny films of motion p

7、icture actor and director Charlie Chaplin continue to be well loved. He is particularly well known for his success as a creator of humorous presentations that make fun of people, the establishment, or networks.1.All of the following about Charlie Chaplin are true except _.A. he was born in the USA B

8、. he was a great film actor C. he had an unhappy early life D. he made fun of Hitler in one of his films2.According to the author, Charlie Chaplin has been well loved by generation after generation because _.A. he set the whole world laughing B. his performances get people involved C. his works appe

9、al to people in different periods D. both B and C3.According to the writers of Charlie Chaplin's life history, _ had a strong influence on the type of films he made.A. the society in which he lived B. the audience who praised and admired him C. his unhappy early years in the poor area in London

10、D. those who called him a genius4.According to the passage, which of the following is true?A. There are timeless qualities in Chaplin's work because he didn't involve himself in political affairs. B. Chaplin became well loved years after his death. C. Chaplin's performance is funny witho

11、ut any sad elements. D. Chaplin's films are the combinations of funny and sad elements.5.This passage was _.A. written by Charlie Chaplin B. written about Charlie Chaplin C. advertising one of Charlie Chaplin's films D. written for students to learn film-makingPassage 2Although Beethoven cou

12、ld sit down and compose easily, his really great compositions did not come easily at all. They cost him a great deal of hard work and he always found it hard to satisfy himself. When he was 28, he began to notice a strange noise in his ears. As it grew worse, he went to see doctors, and was told tha

13、t he was going deaf. This was too much for any composer to bear. Beethoven was without hope; he was sure that he was going to die. He went to the countryside where he wrote a long good-bye letter to his brothers, describing how sad and lonely his deafness made him. He longed to die, and said to deat

14、h, "Come when you will; I shall meet you bravely." In fact, Beethoven did something braver than dying. He gathered his courage and went on writing music, though he could hear what he wrote more and more faintly. He wrote the music for which we remember him best after he became deaf. This m

15、usic was very different from any that had been composed before. Instead of the artistic and beautiful music that earlier composers had written for their rich listeners, Beethoven wrote stormy, exciting music which reminds us of his troubled and courageous (勇敢的) life. His Heroic (英雄的) Symphony (交响乐)

16、and Fifth Symphony both show his courage in struggling with his fate. In time he went completely deaf, but he wrote more creatively than ever, for he could "hear" his music in his mind. He was lonely and often unhappy but in spite of this, he often wrote joyful music, such as his last symp

17、hony, the Ninth. Because of his courage and strong will to triumph, his music has given joy and encouragement to millions of people.1.How did Beethoven's deafness affect him?A. It killed him. B. It stopped his writing music. C. It drove him mad. D. It helped him create great music.2.Which of the

18、 following music works written by Beethoven was joyful?A. No. 9 Symphony. B. No. 7 Symphony. C. No. 5 Symphony. D. No. 3 Symphony.3.Beethoven longed to die because _.A. he had told death he would meet it bravely B. he felt his deafness was too much for him to bear as a composer C. he wouldn't be

19、 able to write music for rich listeners after becoming deaf D. he wouldn't be able to support his family4.Which of the following is the best title for this passage?A. Music and Symphony B. Hard to Satisfy C. The Music of Fate D. Deafness in Music.5.According to the passage, which of the followin

20、g is true?A. When he was partly deaf, Beethoven's music became more and more gentle. B. His music became more and more artistic although he was deaf. C. He wrote fainter and fainter music after he went deaf. D. He composed exciting and encouraging music that reflected his struggle with his fate.

21、Passage 3English food is thought of poorly in other countries. This is most probably because foreigners in England are often obliged (不得不) to eat in the more fast-food type of restaurant. Here it is necessary to prepare food rapidly in large amounts, and the taste of the food inevitably suffers, tho

22、ugh its quality, from the point of view of nourishment (营养), is quite satisfactory. Still, it is rather dull and not always pleasantly presented. Moreover, the Englishman eating in a cheap or medium price restaurant is usually in a hurry (at least at lunch), and a meal eaten in a leisurely way in pl

23、easant surroundings is always far more enjoyable than a meal taken quickly in a business-like environment. In general, it is possible to get a good meal at a reasonable price; in fact, such a meal may be less expensive than similar food in other countries. For those with money to spare, there are re

24、staurants that compare favorably with the best in any country. In many countries breakfast is a snack (点心) rather than a meal, but the typical English breakfast is a full meal. Some people have a bowl of hot or cold cereal(谷物) to begin with. Then comes a large and filling course, usually cooked, suc

25、h as bacon (腊肉) and eggs, or some other type of meat. Yorkshire ham (火腿) is also a breakfast many people enjoy. Afterwards comes toast, with butter and marmalade (果子酱), and perhaps some fruit. Tea or coffee is drunk with the meal. Many English people now take such a full breakfast only on Sunday mor

26、ning.1.Food in the more fast-food type of restaurant in Britain is always _.A. served in large amountsB. very pleasant in appearanceC. quite acceptable for foreigners D. not so delicious2.According to the passage, English food is _ in terms of nourishment.A. actually quite satisfactoryB. not good at

27、 allC. always very simpleD. always taken in pleasant surroundings despite its poor taste3.Foreigners in Britain always choose to _.A. eat the most typical foodB. have a full breakfast every dayC. buy the least expensive food D. have their meals in the more fast-food type of restaurant4.Which of the

28、following statements is probably true?A. Englishmen always talk about time while eating. B. The same meal would be more enjoyable if eaten in better surroundings. C. It's almost impossible for any British restaurant to rank among the best in the world. D. People can hardly get enough food at a r

29、easonable price in Britain.5.Which of the following statements is probably NOT true?A. Many Englishmen have a full breakfast only once a week.B. Typical breakfast in Britain is a meal rather than a snack. C. Englishmen are so stuck in their old ways that they have a full breakfast every day.D. Engli

30、sh people always have tea or coffee with a full breakfast instead of fruit juice.Passage 4Television carries more national advertising than any other medium in the United States. The same is true in some smaller countries such as Spain and Portugal, where it is the only medium reaching a general nat

31、ional audience. In many countries, (Sweden and Denmark, for example) the state-owned television accepts no advertising. In many other countries the amount of commercial (商业广告) time is very much limited, as in France, Germany, and Italy. Russian state-owned television began accepting a limited amount

32、 of advertising in 1988. The chief reason that television is so well liked among United States advertisers is that it reaches a vast number of people at the same time. While it can cost well over 100,000 dollars, a 30-second commercial on network television can be seen and heard by as many as 25 mil

33、lion viewers. For companies that must make prospects aware of their products and convince them of their benefits immediately, there is nothing as efficient as television advertising. Because it employs motion as well as words, pictures, sounds, and music, television is a valuable medium for products

34、 that lend themselves to demonstration. No other medium is as effective in showing how quickly an automobile can move or how well a certain type of wristwatch will stand up under heavy use and continue to run. In the same way, it is an ideal medium for showing how some products can make a person fee

35、l better about him- or herself, such as long-distance telephone calls. 1.According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?A. There is less advertising on TV in Spain than in Sweden.B. One can never see any commercial on TV in Denmark since it is not accepted at all. C. The amount

36、of commercial time is very much limited in most European countries. D. French people don't have to worry about being troubled by commercials.2.According to the passage, what is the main reason United States advertisers like television so much?A. It communicates information more quickly.B. Every

37、household has at least one TV set.C. It communicates information to a vast number of people at the same time.D. American people love watching TV more than reading.3.The word prospects in the 2nd paragraph means _.A. potential customers B. competitorsC. working staff at TV stations D. partners4.Which

38、 of the following is employed in TV advertising?A. MotionB. Sounds and music. C. Pictures D. All of the above.5.Which of the following statements is true?A. Television is as efficient as newspaper in demonstration benefits of a certain product or service. B. Television is a valuable medium in demons

39、trating benefits of a certain product or service. C. TV commercials can hardly help to communicate feelings. D. People use advertising on TV whenever necessary because of its effectiveness.Passage 5Coffee is one of the most popular (流行的) drinks throughout the world today. In fact, according to some

40、estimates, over 30% of all adults in the world drink coffee at least once a day on the average. Coffee contains a kind of drug called caffeine (咖啡因). Caffeine is a chemical that stimulates (刺激) the nerves of the body. Drinking coffee tends to make people a little bit more awakeat least for a short t

41、imebecause of this stimulating effect on the nervous system (系统). A cup of coffee has, on the average, about 3% caffeine in it. One story of the discovery of the coffee plant relates to this effect of caffeine. According to the story, coffee was discovered in East Africa. The story says that coffee

42、was first found by a goat farmer named Kaldi. This was about the year 850. Kaldi was leading his animals through the mountains and the goats were stopping repeatedly to eat the plants near the path. Suddenly, some of the goats started jumping up and down in a very strange way. Kaldi figured out that

43、 the goats were acting this way because of the plants they were eating. Kaldi himself tried eating some of the green beans (豆荚) that the goats had been eating. He, too, felt the stimulating effect of the beans. Kaldi wanted to prove what had happened, so he picked some of the beans and took them bac

44、k to his home village, where he told his story. The green bean got the name "Kaffa" and later "coffee" because the beans were discovered in a place called Kaffa in Africa. Then for years, people used to eat a few of the green Kaffa beans when they were in the mountains and needed

45、 extra energy to do their work. It was later found that the coffee beans could be picked and then dried until they turned brown, and then they could be stored. If the beans were dried and stored, they could be used at any time. 1.What is caffeine?A. a kind of seedB. a kind of plantC. a kind of drugD

46、. a kind of nut2.What is the purpose of drinking coffee?A. To become more awake.B. To become more healthy.C. To become more happy.D. To become more clever.3.Coffee was first found by a _.A. doctorB. farmerC. druggist（药剂师）D. chemist（化学家）4.How did the goats react after eating the plants?A. They fell a

47、sleep. B. They could not find their way home. C. They started jumping up and down.D. They wanted to eat more.5.Why did the green bean get the name "Kaffa"?A. Because Kaldi loved his home village very much. B. Because Kaldi's goats loved the green bean very much. C. Because the beans we

48、re discovered in a place by this name.D. Because the beans could be picked and dried.Passage 6Pepys and his wife had asked some friends to dinner on Sunday, September 2nd, 1666. The servants (女仆) were up very late on the Saturday evening, getting everything ready for the next day, and while they wer

49、e busy they saw the glow of a fire start in the sky. By 3 o'clock on the Sunday morning, the glow had become so bright that one of the servants, Jane, woke her master to see it. Pepys went to the window to watch it. It seemed fairly far away, so after a time he went back to bed. When he got up i

50、n the morning, it looked as though the fire was dying down, though he could still see it. So he set to work to tidy (整理) his room and put his things back where he wanted them after the servants had cleaned everything. While he was doing this, Jane came in to say that she had heard that the fire was

51、a bad one: three hundred houses had been burned down in the night and the fire was still burning. Pepys went out to see for himself. He went to the Tower of London and climbed up on a high part of the building so that he could see what was happening. From there, Pepys could see that it was, indeed,

52、a bad fire and that even the houses on London Bridge were burning. Someone told him that the fire had started in a baker's house in Pudding Lane (小巷), and then the flames (火焰) had quickly spread to the other houses in the narrow lane. So began the Great Fire of London, a fire that lasted nearly

53、five days, destroyed most of the old city and ended, so it is said, at Pie Corner. 1.The servants were up very late because _.A. they were chatting B. they were having a party C. they were preparing for a dinner D. they were watching a fire2.Pepys went back to bed because _.A. he was not interested

54、in chatting about a fire B. he did not think the fire was anything special C. the fire was far away D. the fire had died down3.When Pepys was tidying his room and things, Jane came in and told him that _.A. the fire was dying down B. the fire had been put out C. the fire was a bad one D. no flame co

55、uld be seen4.The fire started _.A. on London Bridge B. in a baker's house C. because the lane was too narrow for people to come in D. because people could not get enough water to put it out5.Pie Corner was _. A. the site of the Tower of London B. the site of the Great Fire of London C. the place

56、 where the fire ended D. the place where Pepys lived Passage 7The University of London is one of Britain's largest centers for higher education, with a name for international education. Located in one of the world's most dynamic(有活力有生气的) cities, we can offer international students a wide and

57、 exciting cultural life, as well as the very best course choice and teaching. We offer our international students the ability to study and improve their command of English, to ensure they get the best from the course of their choice. International students are assured of a successful and happy time while studying at the University of London. We have a Student Service office to help you at all times, and first year students are ensured a place in halls of residence if desired. Your teacher will give you personal instruction if required. Students can enjoy themselve