2012高考英语冲刺阅读理解专项 50-7
A
Technology has been an encouragement of historical change. It acted as such a force in England beginning in the eighteenth century, and across the entire Western World in the nineteenth. Rapid advances were made in the use of scientific findings in the manufacture (制造) of goods, which has changed ideas about work. One of the first changes was that other forms of energy have taken the place of human power. Along with this came the increased use of machines to manufacture products in less time. People also developed machines that could produce the same parts for a product: each nail was exactly like every other nail, meaning that each nail could be changed for every other nail. This means that goods could be mass production, although mass production required breaking production down into smaller and smaller tasks.
Workers no longer started on the product and labored to complete it. Instead, they might work only one thousandth of it, other workers completing their own parts in certain order. There is nothing strange about this manufacturing work by today's standards. Highly skilled workers were unable to compare with the new production techniques, as mass production allowed goods of high standard to be produced in greater number than could ever be done by hand. But the skilled worker wasn't the only loser, the common workers lost too. Similar changes forced farmer away. The increased mechanization (机械化) of agriculture freed masses of workers from ploughing the land and harvesting its crops. They had little choice but to stream toward the rapidly developing industrial centers. Increasingly, standards were set by machines. Workers no longer owned their own tools, their skill was no longer valued, and pride in their work was no longer possible. Workers fed, looked after and repaired the machines that could work faster than humans at greatly reduced cost.
1. In this passage, which of the following is NOT considered as a change caused by the use of scientific findings in the production of goods?
A. Other forms of energy have taken the place of human power.
B. The increased exploitation of workers in the 19th century.
C. The increased use of machines to make products in less time.
D. The use of machines producing parts of the same standard.
答案解析：答案为B。本题为细节题。从文章的第一段 “One of the first changes was that other forms of energy have taken the place of human power. Along with this came the increased use of machines to manufacture products in less time. People also developed machines that could produce the same parts for a product:” 可知，A、C、D都在文中提到了。故答案为B。
2. According to the writer, highly skilled workers ______
A. completely disappeared with the coming of the factory system
B. were dismissed by the boss
C. were unable to produce goods of high standard
D. were unable to produce fine goods at that same speed as machines
答案解析：答案为D。本题为细节题。从文章第二段 “Highly skilled workers were unable to compare with the new production techniques, as mass production allowed goods of high standard to be produced in greater number than could ever be done by hand.” 可知，机器批量生产的产品标准高，数量多，这是手工生产无法匹敌的。故答案为D。
3. According to the passage, what did the farmers have to do with the coming of mechanization of agriculture?
A. Many of them had to leave their farmland for industrial centers.
B. They stuck to their farm work.
C. They refused to use machines.
D They did their best to learn how to use the machines.
答案解析：答案为A。本题为细节题。从第二段的倒数第四句话 “They had little choice but to stream toward the rapidly developing industrial centers.” 可知，答案为A。
B
The earth's most rich resource—water has become one of the most precious resources in the United States as rivers, lakes, and freshwater reservoirs are increasingly exploited for human use. Consequently, using precise farming techniques to refine “irrigation scheduling” is a research area of particular interest to Susan Moran, a researcher with the US department of Agriculture. She explains that in the southwest, irrigation is both difficult and expensive. There, she says, farmers have a tendency to over irrigate, spending both more time and money than necessary.
“I'm trying to provide new information that could be used by farmers to schedule irrigations to improve their profitability and use less water,” Moran says. “Farmers often look at weather changes and then schedule irrigation based on that information. But if they had better information, they could use scientific models to compute more precisely how much water their crop is using.”
Rather than guessing their crop's potential need for water based upon weather
changes, farmers can use remote sensors to measure how much water their crop is actually using. This would give them a more accurate measure of how much more water it needs.
Moran believes that if farmers are getting good and timely measurements of plant and air temperature, then they can program when and how much water to give each crop through an irrigation system. No more water would be used than needed, thus saving cost and conserving water.
Moran introduces one study she conducted in Arizona to investigate the use of remote sensing data for scheduling cotton irrigations. Typically, those farmers irrigate ten times per growing season, but evidence showed that some of those farmers could achieve basically the same harvest with only nine irrigations.
“In those cases, one less irrigation saved more than all the cost of remote sensing data，” she states. “Both irrigation and satellite remote sensing data are expensive. But then again many farmers are used to working together as a group. They are used to sharing. I'm hoping they could do the same with remote sensing data—purchase one scene over a large area to cover many farms, which would further reduce the cost.”
1. What does Moran think is the problem with farmers?
A. Over-used reservoirs. B. Precision farming.
C. Irrigation researches. D. Over-irrigation.
答案解析：答案为D。 由第一段最后一句话 “… farmers have a tendency to over irrigate, spending both more time and money than necessary.” 可知，答案为D。
2. How can farmers get the new information about their crop?
A. To reschedule irrigation as required.
B. To watch weather changes regularly.
C. To use remote sensors as researchers suggest.
D. To use scientific models since computing is more reliable.
答案解析：答案为C。本题为细节题。从第三段 “…farmers can use remote sensors to measure how much water their crop is actually using.” 可知答案为C。本题容易错选D项。题干问的是 “农民如何得到关于庄稼的新信息？” 从第二段最后一句话 “But if they had better information, they could use scientific models to compute more precisely how much water their crop is using.” 可知，农民如果有了更好的信息可以使用scientific models。故答案D错误。
3. What do farmers check upon when they decide how much water each crop needs?
A. Profitability. B. Remote sensors.
C. The cost. D. Air temperature.
答案解析：答案为D。本题为细节理解题。从第四段 “Moran believes that if farmers are getting good and timely measurements of plant and air temperature, then they can program when and how much water to give each crop through an irrigation system.”可知，农民依靠准确及时地测量植物和空气温度，来决定给每种庄稼配给相应的水分。 故答案为D。
4. What's the purpose of Moran introducing the study she carried out in Arizona?
A. To investigate the use of remote sensing data.
B. To support her viewpoint in the previous paragraph.
C. To show how farmers can reap a harvest.
D. To criticize those farmers who used too much water.
答案解析：答案为A。本题为细节题。由倒数第二段首句 “Moran introduces one study she conducted in Arizona to investigate the use of remote sensing data for scheduling cotton irrigations.”可知，答案为A。
5. What is among the best possible ways to help save farmers' money?
A. Changing irrigation. B. Sharing sensing data.
C. Buying one computer. D. Extending the farms.
答案解析：答案为B。本题为细节题。由最后一段 ““Both irrigation and satellite remote sensing data are expensive. But then again many farmers are used to working together as a group. They are used to sharing.” 可知，答案为B。
2012高考英语冲刺阅读理解专项 50-10
A
The week I turned 50, my marriage came to a sudden end. My house, furniture and everything I’d owned was sold to pay debts that I didn't’ even know I had. In a week I had lost my husband, my home and my parents who had refused to accept a divorce in the family. I’d lost everything except my four teenage children. I used every penny I had to buy five plane tickets from Missouri to Hawaii. Everyone said I was crazy to think I could just go to an island and survive. I was afraid they were right.
Knowing that no one in the world was going to help us, I rented a cheap apartment. I worked 18 hours a day and lost 30 pounds because I lived on one meal a day. One night as I walked alone on the beach, I saw the red orange glow of the lave (火山岩) pouring out of Kilarea Volcano in the distance. It was time to live my imagination!
The next day I quit my job and invested my last paycheck in art supplies and began doing what I loved. I hadn’t painted a picture in 15 years. I wondered if I could still paint. My hands trembled the first time I picked up a brush. But before an hour had passed, I was lost in the colors spreading across the canvas in front of me. And as soon as I started believing in myself, other people started believing in me, too. The first painting sold for $1,500 before I even had time to frame it.
The past six years have been filled with adventures. My children and I have gone swimming with dolphins, watched whales and hiked around the volcano. We wake up every morning with the ocean in front of us and the volcano behind us. The dream I had more than 40 years ago is now reality. I’m living freely and happily ever after.
1. It can be inferred from the passage that ______.
A. the writer didn’t expect her marriage would end
B. the writer’s parents were content with her divorce
C. the writer’s husband took away most of her property
D. there was something wrong with the writer’s job
答案解析：答案为A。本题为推理题。从第一段的第一句话 “The week I turned 50, my marriage came to a sudden end.” 可以推断，作者迈入50岁的那一周，婚姻突然解体，这个是她所没有预料到的。故答案为A。
从第一段的 “My house, furniture and everything I’d owned was sold to pay debts that I didn't’ even know I had… I’d lost everything except my four teenage children.” 可以推断，作者失去了所有的财产，而不是大部分财产，故C选项错误。又从 “In a week I had lost my husband, my home and my parents who had refused to accept a divorce in the family.”可推断，她的父母拒绝接受她的离婚，故选项B错误。D选项未提及。
2. The writer went to Hawaii to ______.
A. free herself from trouble B. spend her holiday
C. earn a living for the family D. realize her childhood’s dream
答案解析：答案为C。本题为推理题。由第二段前两句话 “Knowing that no one in the world was going to help us, I rented a cheap apartment. I worked 18 hours a day and lost 30 pounds because I lived on one meal a day.”可知，作者带着四个孩子去夏威夷后，没人帮助，住廉价的公寓，一天工作18个小时，吃一顿饭，故可推断她去夏威夷为了谋生。
3. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage ?
A. The writer is a woman of great determination.
B. The writer has been fond of painting.
C. The writer sold her first framed painting for 1,500 dollars.
D. The writer likes a life full of adventures.
答案解析：答案为C。本题为推理题。结合全文，作者50岁的时候，婚姻瓦解，带着四个孩子到夏威夷，偶然的机会发现了生财之道，利用自己以前的爱好谋生，自力更生，奋斗不息，可推断她是位有决心的伟大女性，故A选项正确。由作者的经历和最后一段的倒数第二句话 “The dream I had more than 40 years ago is now reality.” 可知，作者一直喜欢绘画，故B选项正确。由最后一段首句 “The past six years have been filled with adventures.” 可推断，作者喜欢冒险生活，故选项D正确。
由第三段最后一句话 “The first painting sold for $1,500 before I even had time to frame it.” 可知，作者的第一幅画在抽空上框之前就卖了$1,500，选项C与文意不符。故答案为C。
4. What would be the best title for this passage?
A. My Broken Marriage B. A Hard Life in Hawaii
C. Adventures over 6 Years D. My Life After Divorce
答案解析：答案为D。本题考查文章标题。全文描述了作者离婚后去夏威夷如何发现谋生的机会，如何过上幸福自由的快乐生活。故答案为D。
B
For ten years Jo Eddings felt that she had been banging her head against a brick wall. “I can’t describe my frustration. I felt so helpless,” she says. “What I wanted was the help with my very bright daughter who had a problem with language.” She was slow to learn to talk and at 9 her reading and writing were still poor.
“We took her to psychologists and all sorts of experts, but for years nobody seemed to be able to give us a proper diagnosis or know what to do.” But that changed this month when she heard a radio program about an exhibition called Genes Talking at the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) in London. It was about a research project to discover a gene lined with a condition known as specific language impairment. “As soon as I heard it I knew that this was what I’d been looking for,” she says. “I wasn’t alone; I wasn’t mad. There was someone who understood my daughter.”
SLI covers speech and grammar problems suffered by children, the most familiar of which is dyslexia (诵读困难). About 8 percent of children are recognized as dyslexic. But a similar number may be suffering from other forms of SLI and are not recognized. The condition is the failure of different parts of the brain to deal with speech and language, and different failures manifest (表明) themselves in different ways.
The scientist involved in the ICA project was Professor Heather van der Leiy, the director of the Centre for Developmental Language Disorders and Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London, and a leading expert on SLI. “If we can find a genetic link, it will provide the kind of hard evidence that this is a genuine problem, which is needed if we are to cure the disease,” she says.
1. The underlined part in the first paragraph probably means Jo Eddings couldn’t _____.
A. understand her daughter and was very sad
B. help her daughter out of trouble and felt helpless
C. afford to treat her daughter’s disease and felt sad
D. find where to treat her daughter’s disease and felt ashamed
答案解析：答案为B。本题为句意推测题。从划线部分后文 “I can’t describe my frustration. I felt so helpless,” she says. “What I wanted was the help with my very bright daughter who had a problem with language.”可知，Jo Eddings 对于女儿的疾病感到沮丧、无助，他非常需要帮助。故答案为B。
由第二段首句 “We took her to psychologists and all sorts of experts…”可推测，他们带着女儿看了许多心理医生和各种专家，应该有能力支付治疗费用，故C选项错误。A选项和D选项的 “felt ashamed” 与文意不符。
2. Jo Eddings was pleased when she _______.
A. visited and exhibition called Genes Talking
B. heard a radio program about an exhibition
C. discovered a gene linked with her daughter’s problem
D. was given a proper diagnosis of her daughter’s illness.
答案解析：答案为B。本题为细节题。由第二段 “But that changed this month when she heard a radio program…” 可知，答案为B。
3. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage ?
A. Jo Eddings’ daughter was lonely and mad.
B. Dyslexia is an unknown problem among the public.
C. “SLI” stands for Specific Language Impairment.
D. Jo Eddings’ daughter’s illness was cured at last.
答案解析：答案为C。本题为推理题。由第二段 “It was about a research project to discover a gene lined with a condition known as specific language impairment.” 和第三段首句 “SLI covers speech and grammar problems suffered by children, the most familiar of which is dyslexia.”可以推断，C选项正确。
由第二段倒数第二句话 ““I wasn’t alone; I wasn’t mad.” 可知，选项A错误。由第三段 “About 8 percent of children are recognized as dyslexic.” 可知，B选项错误。D选项未提及。
4. On which column can we read the above passage in a newspaper?
A. Education News. B. Health News.
C. Business News. D. Economy News.
答案解析：答案为B。本题为推理题。结合全文和最后一段研究SLI的专家描述 “If we can find a genetic link, it will provide the kind of hard evidence that this is a genuine problem, which is needed if we are to cure the disease,” 可推断，Jo Eddings的女儿的疾病属于基因问题，和健康有关，故答案为B。
2012高考英语冲刺阅读理解专项 50-6
A
So you want to draw money from a bank? Do it yourself. Want to fix a broadband internet connection? Do it yourself. Need a boarding card for your flight? Do it yourself. In theory, companies can save money by replacing human workers with automated self-service systems, while customers gain more choices and control and get quicker service. There is even talk of self-service doing for the service department what mass production did for factories, by enabling the delivery of services cheaply and on a massive scale. Surely the expansion of self-service into more and more areas is to be welcomed?
Not necessarily. When it is done well, self-service can do good to both companies and customers. But when done badly—who has not found themselves trapped in a series of endless touch—tone menus? In areas where self-service is only just started, this is less of a problem: angry customers can after all, always take their business elsewhere. But if every bank were to prefer self-service systems, customers would no longer be able to express their discount by voting with their feet. As a result, some banks, for example, already promise that their telephone-banking services always offer the choice of talking to a human operator. But in return for human service, many companies will simply charge more.
Another disagreement to self-service is that while it saves companies money, it does not always save their customers’ time. In the best cases, it does, of course: checking yourself in at the airport can be quicker than queuing or making a phone call. But as more and more tasks are on to customers, they may start to hope for the days of old-fashioned service.
All of this suggests that there are limits to how far self-service can be taken. Companies that go too far down the self-service route or to do it incorrectly are likely to find themselves being punished. Instead, a balance between self-service and traditional forms of service is necessary.
1．From this passage, we can see that the writer the use of self-service technology.
A. dislikes B. supports
C. thinks highly of D. makes carefully judgment on
答案解析：答案为D。本题考查作者的观点态度。结合第一段和最后一段可知，作者认为自助服务有优点也有缺点，故答案为D，作者对自助服务的评价非常小心。
2．What advantages does the self-service technology certainly bring?
A. Cutting the cost for the companies.
B. Saving money for customers.
C. Offering customers extra money.
D. Defeating the traditional forms of service.
答案解析：答案为A。本题为细节题。由文章第一段 “In theory, companies can save money by replacing human workers with automated self-service systems, while customers gain more choices and control and get quicker service.” 可知，A选项正确，B、C错误。D选项未提及。
3．What does the writer mean by saying “customers would no longer be able to express their discount by voting with their feet”?
A. customers would be so angry that they kick and damage the machine providing self-service.
B. customers would not be able to express their anger at the bank’s service by leaving there
C. customers would try their best to persuade the bank to stop self-service.
D. customers would elect some leaders to have a talk with the bank.
答案解析：答案为B。本题为句意理解题。本句话出现在第二段的第五句话中，如果每个银行将选择自助服务系统，客户会怎样？结合下文给的例证可知，结果是银行只能提供客户人工操作的选择，故可推断如果客户只能选择自助服务系统，一旦它出现故障，客户即使离开银行也将无法表达对银行服务的愤怒。故答案为B。
4．Which of the following statements does the writer agree to?
A. Banks should supply self-service and traditional forms of service as well.
B. Self-service in banks has so many week points and should be stopped.
C. Self-service can bring about many conveniences and should be supported.
D. Banks don’t consider customers’ needs in their business.
答案解析：答案为A。本题考查作者的观点态度。本题与第一题类似，结合前面几题的分析，作者认为自助服务可以给银行和客户带来好处，但是自助服务也有不足之处。又由最后一段最后一句话 “Instead, a balance between self-service and traditional forms of service is necessary.” 可知，作者认为自助服务与传统形式的服务保持平衡是必要的，故答案为A。
B
Anybody who can speak one language has ‘the gift’ to learn another. Add a Linguaphone course, and that possibility can become a reality quickly and easily. Study as little as half an hour a day and in twelve weeks you could be talking confidently in the language of your choice.
Linguaphone will provide you with everything you need to learn at your own pace, where and when you choose. And, although you aren’t in a classroom, you certainly won’t be left all alone . Our free Advisory Service and sort out any problem by post or phone.
You can listen to your course on any cassette player. But just in case you want to study on the move or without interrupting anyone, you can also receive a Linguaphone Personal Stereo Cassette Player completely free.
The Linguaphone cassette and information pack gives details（细节）of this offer , explains how Linguaphone will work for you, and tells you how you can try a course without risking a penny , with our 14-day money-back guarantee（保证）.
Why not find out how you can become one of those “gifted” people who can speak another language? To receive your cassette and information pack, return the coupon below or call us today.
Personal callers welcome at:
The Linguaphone Language Centre at 124-126
Brompton Road, Knightsbridge , London SW3.
1．According to the ad , we can infer that .
A. people can speak a second language by learning a 12-week Linguaphone course
B. Linguaphone will give free courses to second language learners
C. second language learners are to attend courses at Linguaphone Language Centre
D. second language learners can teach themselves by using Linguaphone materials
答案解析：答案为D。本题为细节推理题。由第二段 “Linguaphone will provide you with everything you need to learn at your own pace, where and when you choose. And, although you aren’t in a classroom, you certainly won’t be left all alone .” 可知，Linguaphone课程可以让学习者根据自己的节奏、时间和地点学习，哪怕不是在教室，也不会是独自一人。故可以推断该课程可以让学习者自学，并不是到Linguaphone课程中心去学习。故C错误，D正确。
尽管第一段最后一句话 “Study as little as half an hour a day and in twelve weeks you could be talking confidently in the language of your choice.” 提到，该课程让学习者12周内可以自信地讲学习的语言，但这毕竟是做广告，广告词不免有夸大的成分，可见A 并不能作为合理的推断。广告以销售产品为目的，不会免费。故答案B错误。
2．Before a learner wants to take a Linguaphone course , he has to .
A. write to the Linguaphone Centre first
B. fill out a coupon and post it to Linguaphone
C. pay for a cassette player
D. know the details of the information pack
答案解析: 答案为B。本题为细节题。由文章第三段 “…you can also receive a Linguaphone Personal Stereo Cassette Player completely free.”和最后一段最后一句话 “To receive your cassette and information pack, return the coupon below or call us today.” 可知，该课程免费赠送Linguaphone Personal Stereo Cassette Player，如果需要，学习者需填写下面的coupon 并将其归还或者打电话。故答案为B。
3．What guarantee does Linguaphone give ?
A. Learners can master another language in 14 days.
B. Learners can have a free trial learning for 14 days.
C. Learners can keep the Linguaphone pack for 14 days.
D. Learners can get back their money after 14 days of learning.
答案解析：答案为B。本题为细节题。由文章倒数第二段 “…and tells you how you can try a course without risking a penny , with our 14-day money-back guarantee.” 可知，该课程可以让学习者免费体验14天。故答案为B，
4．The purpose of the ad is to .
A. offer Linguaphone cassettes to learners
B. offer Linguaphone courses free
C. give details of their guarantees
D. introduce and sell Linguaphone products
答案解析：答案为D。本题为推理题。全文都是在为Linguaphone课程做广告，故答案为D。
2012高考英语冲刺阅读理解专项 50-8
A
Women, be on your guard. There is a new male excuse for not listening to us.
A recent study shows that men find it almost impossible to listen to what women say because their brains are out of synch（不同步的）with "complex female tones". Apparently, when men listen to other men about the things they care about, they use only the frontal area of their brains. However, when they listen to women it's different story. They have to work much harder, employing a part of the brain that normally deals with music. So when a man tells you your voice is "music to his ears", he's actually telling the truth, though not in a good way. I'm sure a lot of women could recall times when they have wasted hours explaining why they are completely right about everything in the world, only to wake up the next day to discover that not one brilliant point got through. Those times when men haven't listened to me, I just thought I was being ignored. I didn't realize I just wasn't singing their favorite music. If I'd realized I was being heard as "music", I would have had a bit of fun with it. Whenever I wanted a "discussion", I'd have brought along my own band, complete with string and horn sections. It is difficult not to be suspicious of yet more scientific findings sparing men the blame because of their biology. Isn't this "slaves to biology" all-purpose excuse wearing thin? It's enough to make you wonder at what a strange helpless species men are ----which part of the body will be "beyond their control" next. Even if there is something in it, we have to take into account that most relationships are likely to become boring. That's the truth of the matter. Male or female, your voice might start out as music to your beloved's ears. But finally it will end up as boredom. When your beautiful tones are there all the time, as they go about their daily business, you start to blend in a bit too much, until finally you become a kind of background noise.
1．The author of this passage tries to ___________. A. throw doubts on a commonly accepted idea B. explain a commonly accepted idea as it is C. give some advice on a common problem D. argue against a common belief
答案解析：答案为B。本题考查文章的写作目的。本文第二段就揭示了为什么男性听不进去女性的话的原因，文章后面的内容对此进行了阐述。故答案为B。
2．According to the new study, men don't listen to women because _________ . A. what women say are usually boring
B. they don't care about what women say C. they can't deal with female voices
D. they regard female voices as music
答案解析：答案为C。本题为推理题。由第三段的内容可知，男性在听同性的话语的时候只是用了大脑的前面区域；然而听女性的话语的时候，却更费力，因为要使用通常用来听音乐的那部分的大脑区域。故可推断，男性不听女性的话是因为他们大脑不能非常容易地处理女性的声音。故答案为C。干扰性最强的D选项 “他们把女性的声音当成音乐” 与文意不符。故错误。
3．The underlined sentence in the fifth paragraph shows that the author is _______. A. realistic B. humorous C. serious D. funny
答案解析：答案为B。本题为句意推断题。结合第五段的内容，作者以女性的口吻谈到如果她早意识到她是因为 “音乐”而被男人倾听，她会为此而感到些许开怀。无论何时，如果她想要一场“讨论”，就会带上自己的乐队，弦号俱全。故可以推断，划线部分的语言显得幽默。
4．What does the author think of the finding of the new study? A. She thinks it doubtful. B. She thinks it interesting. C. She thinks it needs further proof. D. She thinks it right.
答案解析：答案为A。本题为细节推断题。由倒数第三段首句 “It is difficult not to be suspicious of …” 可知，本句话的同义词就是doubtful..故答案为A。
5．The author would most probably agree that ________. A. men should accept what women say B. women should talk less and do more housework C. however beautiful voices may be, they will finally become boring D. the relationship between men and women should always be improving 答案解析：答案为C。本题为推理题。从最后一段 “When your beautiful tones are there all the time, as they go about their daily business, you start to blend in a bit too much, until finally you become a kind of background noise.” 可知，当你美妙的旋律每天都出现在男人日常生活中的时候，最后也会变成背景噪音。故答案为C.
A、B未提及；倒数第二段首句提到了 “… most relationships are likely to become boring.” D选项与此不符，故错误。
B
Listen carefully, working people, we would like to tell you something that could save your precious time and money! Best of all, it is free!
It’s “no”.
What do you ask? We’ll say it again: “No”.
Sweet and simple “no”.
Say “no” at your office and see how quickly that pile of work on your desk disappears.
“Saying ‘no’ to others means you are saying ‘yes’ to yourself, ” said Leslie Charles, a professional speaker from East Lansing, Michigan.
“Time is precious. People are spending money buying time. And yet we are willing to give up our time because we can’t say ‘no’.”
Susie Watson, a famous writer, said people who always say “yes” need to say “no” without guilt(内疚)or fear of punishment. “I would rather have someone give me a loving ‘no’ than an obligated(强制的) ‘yes’, ” she said.
Susie Watson says she feels “no” obligation to give an explanation when she says “no” either socially or professionally. Does she feel guilty about it? “Not at all, ” said Watson, who is director of advertising and public relations at Timex Corp in Middlebury, Conneticut. “Most people are afraid of saying ‘no’… My advice is to say ‘yes’ only if you don’t mean ‘no’.”
Watson said “no” is the most effective weapon against wasting time. “Every year there are more demands on your time… Other people are happy to use up your time, ” Watson said. Time saving appears to be “no’s” greatest friend.
“No” can be your new friend, a powerful tool to take back your life. “No” may even take you further in the business world than “yes”.
“No” is power and strength. “No” now seems completely correct. “Saying ‘no’ isn’t easy. But finally it’s greatly liberating,” Charles said. But, he added, a “no” project needs to be worked on every day because it is hard to change long-term habit.
But, he also warns: “Don’t go to extremes. Don’t find yourself saying ‘no’ to everything. In return you should learn to hear ‘no’.”
1. The sentence “Saying ‘yes’ to yourself” means _______.
A. you can have more time to play with others
B. you needn’t care about other’s feeling if you are happy
C. you are selfish and treat others rudely
D. you can deal with your business as you have planned
答案解析：答案为D。本题为细节推理题。由第五、六段可知，对别人说 “不”就是对自己说 “是”，当在办公室说 “不”的时候，你可以看到你桌上的文件很快就完成了。故答案为D。
2. When you say “no” to others you should say it in a _______.
A. secret way B. polite way
C. proud way D. guilty way
答案解析：答案为B。本题为细节推理题。由第八段 “…I would rather have someone give me a loving ‘no’ …”的 “loving” 可以推断，答案为B。
3. In Watson’s opinion, people can save much time on condition that _______.
A. they say “no” at a suitable time
B. they say “no” as much as possible
C. they are afraid of saying “no”
D. they make others angry at them
答案解析：答案为A. 本题为推理题。结合倒数第五段的内容和该段的最后一句话 “…My advice is to say ‘yes’ only if you don’t mean ‘no’.” 可知，Watson的总结性意见是如果你不打算对别人说 “不”，那就说 “是”。故可以推断，说 “不”要在合适的时间。故答案为A。
4. If a person says “no” to everything, the result he or she receive may be that he or she _______.
A. enjoys a wonderful life B. makes a lot of money
C. faces difficulty in life D. forgets to say “yes” in the end
答案解析：答案为C。本题为推理题。由最后一段 Charles 所讲的 “Don’t go to extremes. Don’t find yourself saying ‘no’ to everything…”可知，他认为不能凡事都说 “不”，不能走极端。故可以推断，如果凡事说 “不”，生活就会遇到麻烦。
2012高考英语冲刺阅读理解专项 50-9
A
When I was younger, bedtime was always my favourite part of the day. Wearing soft pajamas and with Ian, my stuffed monkey, in my arms, I felt no pressure at all.
I named Ian after my uncle when I compared Ian’s long arms and legs to his. One night I ran up to Uncle Ian at a family party and told him I had named my monkey after him. His eyebrows wrinkled in confusion, then a chuckle（哈哈笑）escaped his lips. I guess he didn’t understand how important it was to me.
Even if Uncle Ian didn’t think my monkey was special, I certainly did. I dressed him in a white baby nightgown. My mother thought that Ian was the best-dressed stuffed animal in the world. Yes, he was certainly a fashionable creature. The strong cologne（科隆香水）I used on him years ago makes him still smell “pretty”.
For a long time, Ian went everywhere with me. He was my best friend, and I told him everything. But when I turned twelve, I realized I was too old for stuffed animals. I thought people would think I was babyish, so I put him in the cupboard with the rest of my teddy bears and dolls. I begged him to understand why I was doing this, but at the same time I longed to talk to him again.
It took me several years to realize that it was OK to miss Ian. I know now that maturity（成熟）doesn’t only mean growing up and taking on more responsibility. It also means holding on to your childhood and acting young sometimes.
Ian has been with me since I was six years old holding him in my arms connects me to my past and my present as I continue to grow and understand myself.
1. Which of the following is NOT true according to the text?
A．Bedtime used to be the writer’s favourite part of the day because of the stuffed monkey.
B. Uncle Ian liked the stuffed monkey as much as the writer.
C. The writer used to carry the monkey with her wherever she went.
D. Years later the writer realized that it was not wrong to miss Monkey Ian.
答案解析：答案为B。本题为细节推理题。由第一段 “…bedtime was always my favourite part of the day. ..my stuffed monkey, in my arms, I felt no pressure at all.”可知，A选项正确。由第四段首句 “For a long time, Ian went everywhere with me.” 可知，C选项正确。由倒数第二段首句 “It took me several years to realize that it was OK to miss Ian.” 可知，D选项正确。
结合第二段和该段的 “His eyebrows wrinkled in confusion, then a chuckle escaped his lips. I guess he didn’t understand how important it was to me.” 可知，Uncle Ian 对于我用他的名字为我的玩具猴命名感到迷惑，但是他并不知道玩具猴对我有多重要，因此可推断，Uncle Ian并不是和作者一样喜欢玩具猴。B选项不符合文意，故选择B。
2. The writer loved Monkey Ian deeply because __________.
A. he could understand her B. he was a fashionable monkey
C. he could talk with her D. he was her most honest listener
答案解析：答案为D。本题为细节推理题。由第四段 “He was my best friend, and I told him everything.” 可以推断，玩具猴是作者最忠实的听众。故答案为D。
3. We can learn from the text that the writer believes ________.
A. keeping stuffed animals is babyish
B. maturity doesn’t mean growing up and taking on more responsibility
C. one should keep to his childhood and act young sometimes even when he has grown up
D. human beings should be kind to animals
答案解析：答案为C。本题为推理题。由倒数第二段可知，作者几年后才意识到想念玩具Ian 是没有错的。他懂得了成熟不仅仅意味着长大和承担责任，成熟也意味着怀念童年并有时候表现得稚气也无妨。故可推断，C选项符合文意。A选项与文意相反；B选项没有了 “only” ，意思就与原文相反；D选项未提及。
4. We can infer from the text that _________.
A. the writer is still a teenager
B. the writer is now a middle-aged woman
C. Monkey Ian got angry for being left alone
D．Uncle Ian has a monkey-like face
答案解析：答案为A。本题为推理题，要求推断作者的年龄。结合文章第一段首句 “When I was younger…” 和最后一段 “…and my present as I continue to grow and understand myself.” 可以推断，作者继续在成长并开始懂得自己，现在应该是个青少年。故答案为A。
B
“The Lord of the Rings”, one of the best sellers in the new millennium（千年）, was made up of three parts——“The Fellowship of the Ring”, “Two Towers”, and “The Return of the King”. Millions upon millions of people have read it in over 25 different languages, but fewer know about the author and the history of the composition of the creative materwork.
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born in South Africa in 1892. His parents died when he was a child. Living in England with his aunt, Tolkien and his cousins made up play languages, a hobby that led to Tolkien’s becoming skilled in Welsh, Greek, Gothic, Old Norse and Anglo-Saxon.
After graduating from Oxford, Tolkien served in World War I. In 1917, while recovering from trench fever, he began composing the mythology for The Rings. As a professor of Anglo-Saxon in 1930s at Oxford, Tolkien was part of an informal discussion group called the Inklings, which included several writers. The group was soon listening to chapters of Tolkien’s imaginative work “The Hobbit”.
Hobbit was a name Tolkien created for a local people that could best be described as half-sized members of the English rural（乡村的）class. Hobbits live in hillside holes. One of them, Bilbo Baggins, looks for treasures with a group of dwarves（侏儒）. On the way, he meets the twisted, pitiful creature Gollum, from whom he sees a golden ring that makes the holder invisible.
One of Tolkien’s students persuaded her employer, publisher Allen & Unwin, to look at a draft（草稿）. The chairman of the firm, Stanley Unwin, thought that the best judge for a children’s book would be his ten-year-old son. The boy earned a shilling for reporting back that the adventure was exciting, and “The Hobbit” was published in 1937.
It sold so well that Unwin asked for a continuation. Over a dozen years later, in 1954, Tolkien produced “The Lord of the Rings”, a series of books so creative that they hold readers—new and old —after their publication.
1. What can we learn from the text?
A. “The Lord of the Rings” didn’t sell well in the last millennium.
B. People know better about Tolkien himself than about his works.
C. Tolkien was quite familiar with Old English.
D. Tolkien knew very well about different kinds of local languages in Africa.
答案解析：答案为C。本题为推理题。由第一段首句 ““The Lord of the Rings”, one of the best sellers in the new millennium...”可知，A选项错误。由第一段后面的 “Millions upon millions of people have read it in over 25 different languages, but fewer know about the author and the history of the composition of the creative materwork.” 可知，B选项错误。由第二段内容可知，Tolkien 出生于南非，幼时丧父母，与aunt 住在英格兰，和表兄妹们一起玩耍的经历养成了对Welsh, Greek, Gothic, Old Norse and Anglo-Saxon.的热爱，也使得Tolkien能够熟练掌握它们。故可推断，Tolkien在英格兰长大，熟悉的不会是非洲本土语言，应该是英语，文章提到那些语言自然就是古英语了。故答案C正确。
2. What can we learn about “Hobbit” that Tolkien created in his works?
A. Hobbit was a race living in English downtown areas.
B. Hobbit was a local people who were very tall and strong.
C. Hobbit was a social group of people who lived in old castles.
D. Hobbit was a group of people who were mostly dwarves.
答案解析：答案为D。本题为细节推理题。由文章第四段 “Hobbit was a name Tolkien created for a local people that could best be described as half-sized members of the English rural class. Hobbits live in hillside holes.” 可知，A、B、C均不正确。由“half-sized”可推断，Hobbit 中的大多数人是侏儒。故答案为D。
3. Which of the following helped most in making “The Hobbit” published?
A. One of Tolkien’s students. B. Stanley Unwin’s son.
C. Allen & Unwin. D. Bilbo Baggins.
答案解析：答案为B。本题为推理题。尽管文章倒数第二段首句提到 “One of Tolkien’s students persuaded her employer, publisher Allen & Unwin, to look at a draft .” 但是后文又提到 “ The chairman of the firm, Stanley Unwin, thought that the best judge for a children’s book would be his ten-year-old son…” 故可以推断，对于The Hobbit的出版起着决定作用的应该是Stanley Unwin’s son。故答案为B。
4. What is mainly discussed in the text?
A. “The Lord of the Rings” and its writer.
B. A completely new masterwork in the new millennium.
C. A famous professor at Oxford University.
D. The power of the magic ring.
答案解析：答案为A。本题考查文章的中心。由第一段最后一句 “…but fewer know about the author and the history of the composition of the creative materwork.” 和文章后面的内容可知，本文主要介绍The Lord of the Rings 和其作者。故答案为A。
5. Which of the following shows the right order of Mr. J.R.R.Tolkien’s life experience?
a. He had his “The Hobbit” published.
b. He became a member of the Inklings.
c. He served in World WarⅠ
d. He became an undergraduate at Oxford.
e. His work “The Lord of the Rings” came to the world.
f. He moved to England to live with his aunt.
A. f-d-b-c-a-e B. f-d-c-b-a-e C. f-c-d-b-e-a D. d-f-c-a-b-e
答案解析：答案为B。结合全文可知答案为B。
