第三部分 阅读理解(共20小题;每小题2份，满分40分)

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

A

The light from the campfire brightened the darkness, but it could not prevent the damp cold of Dennis’s Swamp (沼泽地) creeping into their bones. It was a strange place. Martin and Tom wished that they had not accepted Jack’s dare. They liked camping, but not near this swamp.

“So,” Martin asked as they sat watching the hot coals. “How did this place get its name ? ”

“Are you sure you want to hear it ? It’s a scary story,” warned Jack.

“Of course!” cried out Tom. “If there were anything to be scared of, you wouldn’t have chosen this place!”

“Ok, but don’t say I didn’t warn you,” said Jack, and he began this tale.

“Way back in time, a man called Dennis tried to start a farm here. He built that cottage over there to live in . In those days, the area looked quite different ---- it was covered with tall trees and the swamp was a crystal-clear river. After three hard years, Dennis had cleared several fields and planted crops. He was so proud of his success that he refused to listen to advice.

“ ‘You are clearing too much land, ’ warned one old man. ‘ The land is a living thing. It will hit back at you if you abuse it. ’

“ ‘ Silly fool,’ said Dennis to himself. ‘If I clear more land, I can grow more crops. I’ll become wealthier. He’s just jealous!’”

“Dennis continued to chop down trees. Small animals that relied on them for food and shelter were destroyed. He was so eager to expand his farm that he did not notice the river flowing slowly towards his door. He did not notice salt seeping to the surface of the land. He did not notice swamp plants choking all the native plants.”

“What happened ? ” Martin asked. It was growing colder. He trembled, twisting his body closer to the fire.

“The land hit back ---- just as the old man warned, ” Jack shrugged. “Dennis disappeared. Old folks around here believe that swamp plants moved up from the river and dragged him underwater. His body was never found.”

“What a stupid story, ” laughed Tom. “Plants can’t …” Before he had finished speaking, he screamed and fainted(晕倒). The other two boys jumped up with fright, staring at Tom. Suddenly, they burst out laughing. Some green swamp ivy (常春藤) had covered Tom’s face. It was a while before Tom could appreciate the joke.

56. The underlined word “dare” in Paragraph 1 is closed in meaning to ________.

A. courage B. assistance C. instruction D. challenge

57. Why did Jack tell Tom and Martin the story ?

A. To frighten them.

B. To satisfy their curiosity.

C. To warn them of the danger of the place.

D. To persuade them to camp in the swamp.

58. Why did Dennis ignore the warning of the old man ?

A. The old man envied him. B. The old man was foolish

C. He was too busy to listen to others. D. He was greedy for more crops.

59. Why did Tom scream and faint ?

A. He saw Dennis’s shadow B. He was scared by a plant

C. His friends played a joke on him. D. The weather became extremely cold.

60. What lesson can we learn from the story of Dennis ?

A. Grasp all, lose all. B. No sweat, no sweet.

C. It is no use crying over spilt milk. D. He who makes no mistakes makes nothing.

B

When international aid is given, steps must be taken to ensure (确保)that the aid reaches the people for whom it is intended. The way to achieve this may not be simple. It is very difficult for a nation to give help directly to people in another nation. The United Nations Organiztion(UNO) could undertake to direct the distribution of aid. Here however rises the problem of costs. Also tied with this is time. Perhaps the UNO could set up a body of devoted men and women is every country who can speedily distribute aid to victims of floods and earthquakes.

More than the help that one nation can give to another during a disaster, it would be more effective to give other forms of help during normal times. A common proverb says, “Give me a fish and I eat for day, teach me to fish and I eat for a lifetime.” If we follow this wise saying, it would be right to teach people from less developed nations to take care of themselves. For example, a country could share its technology with another. This could be in simple areas like agriculture or in more complex areas like medical and health care or even in building satellites. Even small country is able to help less developed nations. Sometimes what is take for granted, like the setting up of a water purification plant or the administration of a school, could be useful for countries which are looking about to solve common problems. It does not cost much to share such simple things. Exchange students could be attached for a number of months or years and learn the required craft while on the site. They can then take their knowledge back to their homelands and if necessary come back form time to time to clear doubts or to update themselves. Such aid will be truly helpful and there is no chance of it being temporary or of it falling into the wrong hands.

Many countries run extensive courses in all sorts of skills. It will not cost much to include deserving foreigners in these courses. Besides giving effective help to the countries concerned, there is also the build-up of friendships to consider. Giving direct help by giving materials may be effective in the short run and must continue to be given in the event of emergencies. However, in the long run what is really effective would be the sharing of knowledge.

61. According to the author, how could international aid reach the victims in time ?

A. By solving the cost problems

B. By solving the transportation problems

C. By setting up a body of devoted people in every country.

D. By relying on the direct distribution of the UNO.

62. What does the author try to express in the underlined sentence ?

A. Providing food is vital B. Learning to fish is helpful

C. Teaching skills is essential D. Looking after others is important.

63. The second paragraph is developed mainly _________.

A. by example B. by process C. by comparison D. by contrast

64. Which aid is likely to fall into the wrong hands ?

A. A medical team. B. An exchange program.

C. A water plant. D. Financial support.

65. What can we infer about international aid from the passage ?

A. It is facing difficulties. B. It is unnecessary during normal times

C. It should be given in the form of materials D. It has gained support developed countries