高考閱讀理解訓練資訊專題（一）

　　1、Professor Reason recently persuaded 35 people to keep a diary of all their absent-minded actions for two weeks. When he came to analyse their embarrassing errors，he was surprised to find that nearly all of them fell into a few groups.

　　One of the women，for instance，on leaving her house for work one morning threw her pet dog her ear-rings and tried to fix a dog biscuit on her ear. “The explanation for this is that the brain is like a computer，”explains the professor. “People programme themselves to do certain activities regularly. It was the woman’s custom every morning to throw her dog two biscuits and then put on her ear-rings. But somehow the action got reversed（顛倒）in the programme. ”About one in twenty of the incidents the volunteers reported were there“programme assembly failures. ”

　　Twenty percent of all errors were“test failures”——primarily due to not verifying the progress of what the body was doing. A man about to get his car out of the garage passed through the back yard where his garden jacket and boots were kept，put them on——much to his surprise. A woman victim reported：“I got into the bath with my socks on. ”

　　The commonest problem was information“storage failures”. People forgot the names of people whose faces they knew，went into a room and forgot why they were there，mislaid something，or smoked a cigarette without realizing it.

　　The research so far suggests that while the“central processor”of the brain is liberated from second-to-second control of a well-practised routine，it must repeatedly switch back its attention at important decision points to check that the action goes on as intended. Otherwise the activity may be“captured” by another frequently and recently used programme，resulting in embarrassing errors.

　　1. The purpose of Professor Reason’s research is ______.

　　A. to show the difference between men and women in their reasoning

　　B. to classify and explain some errors in human actions

　　C. to find the causes which lead to computer failures

　　D. to compare computer functions with brain workings

　　2. Which of the following might be grouped under“programme assembly failures”?

　　A. A woman went into a shop and forgot what to buy.

　　B. A man returning home after work left his key in the lock.

　　C. A lady fell as she was concentrating on each step her feet were taking.

　　D. An old man，with his shoes on，was trying to put on his socks.

　　3. The word“verifying”in paragraph 3 can be replaced by ______.

　　A.?improving???

　　B. changing??

　　C.?checking?????

　　D.?stopping

　　4. According to the passage，the information“storage failures”refer to ______.

　　A. the destruction of information collecting system

　　B. the elimination of one’s total memory

　　C. the temporary loss of part of one’s memory

　　D. the separation of one’s action from consciousness

　　2、The science of physics today is as current as the morning newspaper. Indeed，as a result of new advances in physics and their rapid application to inventions designed to satisfy man’s wants，the world itself has been changing rapidly. Space technology， industrial technology，and the technology of the home，the farm，the office，the bank，and the department store have all been revolutionized.

　　Clearly，every grown-up today would understand the world he lives in much better if he knew something about physics. Whether it be Congress（美國國會）voting huge sums of money for new warships，space exploration，or atomic energy；the office staff learning to use a new computer；son Bobby wanting to know about going to the moon；or the housewife learning to operate a new electric stove，physics seems to be everywhere.

　　Teachers in thousands of schoolrooms in America are trying to communicate some of the excitement and importance of these new developments to their students. They know that some of their eager students will someday be scientists and will themselves then contribute（貢獻）to the development of new knowledge or its application to new things.

　　But in any case，they can be sure that if they bring a knowledge of science（any science） to their students in meaningful and stimulating ways，they have contributed much to helping each one live a more meaningful life.

　　1. The application of new advances in physics to inventions　.

　　A. may solve all the problems in teaching

　　B. can help people understand the meaning of life

　　C. is intended to meet people’s needs

　　D. makes people understand the voting rules of the Congress

　　. According to the passage，many American teachers are making efforts to do all of the following EXCEPT　.

　　A. stimulating their students’ curiosity in physics

　　B. making their students understand the importance of physics

　　C. giving their students the information of new advances in science

　　D. creating excitement about physical education among their students

　　3. The word“themselves”in the third paragraph refers to　.

　　A. some of the eager students

　　B. the students in the classroom

　　C. the teachers giving lessons

　　D. all the scientists in physics

　　. The first two paragraphs of the passage mainly tell us about　.

　　A. new advances in physics

　　B. the use of physics in our life

　　C. the science of physics

　　D. modern developments in science

　　3、LONDON (Reuters)—Organic fruit, delivered right to the doorstep. That is what Gabriel Gold prefers, and he is willing to pay for it. If this is not possible, the 26-year-old computer technician will spend the extra money at the supermarket to buy organic food.

　　“Organic produce is always better,” Gold said. “The food is free of pesticides (農藥), and you are generally supporting family farms instead of large farms. And more often than not it is locally (本地) grown and seasonal, so it is more tasty. ”Gold is one of a growing number of shoppers buying into the organic trend, and supermarkets across Britain are counting on more like him as they grow their organic food business. But how many shoppers really know what they are getting, and why are they willing to pay a higher price for organic produce? Market research shows that Gold and others who buy organic food can generally give clear reasons for their preferences—but their knowledge of organic food is far from complete. For example, small amounts of pesticides can be used on organic products. And about three quarters of organic food in Britain is not local but imported (進口) to meet growing demand. “The demand for organic food is increasing by about one third every year, so it is a very fast-growing market,”said Sue Flock, a specialist in this line of business.

　　1. More and more people in Britain are buying organic food because _______.

　　A. they are getting richer

　　B. they can get the food anywhere

　　C. they consider the food free of pollution

　　D. they like home-grown fruit

　　2. Which of the following statements is true to the facts about most organic produce sold in Britain?

　　A.?It grows indoors all year round

　　B.?It is produced outside Britain

　　C.?It is grown on family farms?

　　D.?It is produced on large farms

　　3. What is the meaning of “the organic trend”as the words are used in the text?

　　A.?growing interest in organic food???

　　B.?better quality of organic food

　　C.?rising market for organic food???

　　D. higher prices of organic food

　　4. What is the best title for this news story?

　　A. Organic food —healthy, or just for the wealthy?

　　B. The making of organic food in Britain

　　C. Organic food—to import or not?

　　D. Good qualities of organic food

　　4、

　　One of the greatest killers in the Western world is heart disease. The death rate （率） from the disease has been increasing at an alarming speed for the past thirty years. Today in Britain，for example，about four hundred people a day die of heart disease. Medical experts know that people can reduce their chances of getting heart disease by exercising regularly，by not smoking，by changing their diets，and by paying more attention to reducing stress（壓力）in their work.

　　However，Western health-care systems are still not paying enough attention to the prevention of the disease. There is a need for more programs to educate the public about the causes and prevention of heart disease. Instead of supporting such programs，however，the U. S.? health-care system is spending large sums of money on the surgical（外科的）treatment of the disease after it develops. This emphasis（強調）on treatment clearly has something to do with the technological advances that have taken place in the past ten to fifteen years. In this time，modern technology has enabled doctors to develop new surgical techniques.? Many operations that were considered impossible or too risky（有風險的）a few years ago are now performed every day in U. S.? hospitals. The result has been a huge increase in heart surgery.

　　Although there is no doubt that heart surgery can help a large number of people，some people point out that the emphasis on the surgical treatment of the disease has three clear disadvantages. First，it attracts interest and money away from the question of prevention.? Second，it causes the costs of general hospital care to rise. After hospitals buy the expensive equipment that is necessary for modern heart surgery，they must try to recover the money they have spent. ?To do this，they raise costs for all their patients，not just those patients whose treatment requires the equipment. The third disadvantage is that doctors are encouraged to perform surgery－even on patients for whom an operation is unnecessary—because the equipment and expert skills are there. A government office recently stated that major heart surgery was often performed even though its chances of success were low. In one type of heart surgery，for example，only 15 percent of patients improved their conditions after the surgery. However，more than 100，000 of these operations are performed in the United States every year.

　　1. What effect has modern technology had on medicine?

　　?? A. It has reduced the costs of medical treatment.

　　?? B. It has helped save the lives of most patients.

　　?? C. It has encouraged doctors to do more heart surgeries.

　　?? D. It has helped educate people about the prevention of heart disease.

　　2. “To do this”（in Paragraph 3） means ______.

　　?? A. to help patients recover

　　?? B. to increase the number of heart surgeries

　　?? C. to get back the money spent on the equipment

　　?? D. to buy new equipment for the treatment of heart disease

　　. The author would agree that ______.

　　?? A. more money should be spent on the prevention of heart disease

　　?? B. heart surgery has helped most patients improve their conditions

　　?? C. modern technology has made heart surgery more risky than before

　　?? D. the public have known a great deal about the causes of heart disease

　　4. What would be the best title for the passage?

　　?? A. The Greatest killer in the West

　　?? B. Heart Disease：Treat or Prevent

　　?? C. Modern Technollgy and Heart Surgery

　　?? D. Heart Surgery:Advantages and Disadvantages

　　5、July 1994 Jupiter，the largest planet in our solar system，was struck by 21 pieces of a comet（彗星）. When the fragments（碎片）landed in the southern part of the giant planet，the explosions were watched by scientists here on earth. But what if our own planet was hit by a comet?

　　The year is 2094. It has been announced that a comet is heading towards the Earth. Most of it will miss our planet，but two fragments will probably hit the southern part of the Earth. The news has caused panic.

　　On 17 July，a fragment four kilometers wide enters the Earth’s atmosphere with a huge explosion. About half of the fragment is destroyed. But the major part survives and hits the South Atlantic at 200 times the speed of sound. The sea boils and an enormous wave is created and spreads. The wall of water rushes towards southern Africa at 800 kilometres an hour. Cities on the African coast are totally destroyed and millions of people are drowned. The wave moves into the Indian Ocean and heads towards Asia.

　　Millions of people are already dead in the southern part of the Earth，but the north won’t escape for long. Tons of broken pieces are thrown into the atmosphere by the explosions. As the sun is hidden by clouds of dust，temperatures around the world fall to almost zero. Crops are ruined. Wars break out as countries fight for food. A year later civilization has collapsed. No more than 10 million people have survived.

　　Could it really happen? In fact，it has already happened more than once in the history of the Earth. The dinosaurs（恐龍）were on the Earth for over 160 million years. Then 65 million years ago they suddenly disappeared. Many scientists believe that the Earth was hit by a space fragment. The dinosaurs couldn’t survive in the cold climate that followed and they became extinct. Will we meet the same end?

　　1. Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the author’s description of the disaster in 2094?

　　A. The whole world becomes extremely cold.

　　B. All the coastal cities in Africa are destroyed.

　　C. The whole mankind becomes extinct.

　　D. The visit of the comet results in wars.

　　2. Why does the author mention dinosaurs at the end of the passage?

　　A. Because they could only live in the warm climate.

　　B. Because they once dominated the earth.

　　C. Because their extinction indicates future disasters.

　　D. Because dinosaurs and humans never live in the same age.

　　3. In writing the passage，the author intends to ______.

　　A. give an accurate description of the possible disaster in the future

　　B. prove that humans will sooner or later be destroyed

　　C. tell the historical development of the Earth

　　D. warn of a possible disaster in the future

　　參考答案

　　1、

　　1. B

　　2. D

　　3. C

　　4. C

　　2、

　　1. C　

　　2. D　

　　3. A　

　　4. B

　　3、

　　1. C

????????2. B

　　3. A

　　4. A

　　4、

　　1. C

　　2. C

　　3. A

　　4. B

　　5、

　　1. C.

　　2. C

　　3. D