1、阅读理解专题卷29The flag, the most common symbol(象征) of a nation in the modern world, is also one of the most ancient. With a clear symbolic meaning, the flag in the traditional form is still used today to mark buildings, ships and other vehicles related to a country.The national flag as we know it today i
2、s in no way a primitive(原始的)artifact. It is, rather, the product of thousands of years development. Historians believe that it had two major ancestors, of which the earlier served to show wind direction.Early human beings used very fragile houses and boats. Often strong winds would tear roofs from h
3、ouses or cause high waves that endangered travelers .Peoples food supplies were similarly vulnerable. Even after they had learned how to plant grains, they still needed help from nature to ensure good harvests. Therefore they feared and depended on the power of the wind, which could bring warmth fro
4、m one direction and cold from another.Using a simple piece of cloth tied to the top of a post to tell the direction of the wind was more dependable than earlier methods, such as watching the rising of smoke from a fire. The connection of the flag with heavenly power was therefore reasonable. Early h
5、uman societies began to fix long pieces of cloth to the tops of totems(图腾) before carrying them into battle. They believed that the power of the wind would be added to the good wishes of the gods and ancestors represented by the totems themselves. These flags developed very slowly into modern flags.
6、 The first known flag of a nation or a ruler was unmarked: The king of China around 1000 B.C. was known to have a white flag carried ahead of him. This practice might have been learned from Egyptians even further in the past, but it was from China that it spread over trade routes through India, then
7、 across Arab lands, and finally to Europe ,where it met up with the other ancestor of the national flag. 1The best title for the passage would be_. A. Power of the National Flag B. Uses of FlagC. Types of Flags D. Development of the National Flag2The underlined word “vulnerable” in Paragraph 3 means
8、_A. impossible to make sure of B. difficult to findC. likely to be protected D. easy to damage3 The earliest flags were connected with heavenly power because_A. they were believed to stand for natural forcesB. they could bring good luck to fightersC. they were handed down by the ancestorsD. they cou
9、ld tell wind direction4What does the author know of the first national flag?A. He thinks it came from B. He believes it was made in EgyptC. He doubts where it started. D. He knows when it was sent to Europe5 What was the author most probably talk about next?A. The role of China in the spread of the
10、national flag.B. The second ancestor of the national flag.C. The use of modern flags in Europe D. The importance of modern flagsThis is the VOA Special English Economics Report. China has recently been faced with serious issues of product safety. Some cases have brought attention internationally to
11、the increased use of imported ingredients to make food and medicine. In Panama, medicine made with a poisonous chemical killed or sickened more than one hundred people. A Chinese company had identified it as diethylamide glycol ( 化乙二醇), a low cost substitute commonly used in automobile antifreeze(防冻
12、剂). Some countries have banned Chinese-made toothpaste containing diethylamide glycol. China has now told companies to discontinue its use, even though it says the toothpaste is safe. Another industrial chemical, melamine(三聚氰胺), was found in wheat flour used to make pet food in North America. Thousa
13、nds of dogs and cats became sick. The United States has restricted some imports of Chinese seafood because they contained banned substance. And questions have been raised about other products, including childrens toys covered with lead paint. Chinese officials promised to provide the European Union,
14、 the biggest trading partner, with detailed reports on enforcement efforts against unsafe goods. Meglena Kuneva, commissioner (理事) for consumer protection of the European Union said China should have kept its promise. China recently closed three companies linked to the Panama and the pet food scare.
15、 And it dismissed the former head of its food and drug administration. He was found guilty of corruption (腐败) for approving unsafe drugs. This week, a conference of the State Council approved a proposed special measure on the supervision of food safety. The Xinhua News Agency said it calls for stron
16、ger controls over producers, greater responsibilities for government and more serious punishment for illegal activities. But Chinese officials have accused some foreign media of overstating problems with goods made in China. They say food imports from the United States also fail inspection sometimes
17、. Next Week, American and Chinese food safety officials are planning to hold 5 days of meetings in Beijing to discuss cooperation.And thats the VOA Special English Economics Report. Im Mario Ritter.6How many cases with safety problems are mentioned in the passage? ASix BFive CFour DThree 7How was Pa
18、nama case dealt with afterwards? AThree companies linked to it were closed down. BThe former head of food and drug administration was removed from his position. CMore serious punishment was conducted for leaders linked to it. D. Both A and B. 8It can be inferred but not clearly stated that _. AChine
19、se- made toothpaste is safe Bthe safety of “made in China” is doubted Cthere are safety problems with one more Chinese products. Dstronger control over Chinese products is in need 9The passage is mainly about _. AChina is facing product safety problems Bmore controls are taken of Chinese goods Cover
20、stated problems with Chinese goods DChina is losing its trade partners As anyone who has tried to lose weight knows, realistic goal-setting generally produces the best results. Thats partly because most people who set realistic goals actually work more efficiently, and put more effort, to achieve th
21、ose goals. Whats far less understood by scientists, however, are the potentially harmful effects of goal-setting. Newspapers convey daily accounts of goal-setting widespread in industries and businesses up and down both Wall Street and Main Street, yet there has been surprisingly little research on
22、how the long-advocated practice of setting goals may have contributed to the current economic crisis, and immoral behavior in general.“Goals are widely used and promoted as having really beneficial effects. And yet, the same motivation that can push people to put more effort in a constructive way co
23、uld also motivate people to be more likely to engage in immoral behaviors,” says Maurice Schweitzer, an associate professor at Penns Wharton School. His paper, titled “Goals Gone Wild: The Systematic Side Effects of Over-Praised Goal Setting,” appears in the February issue of the Academy of Manageme
24、nt Perspectives.“It turns out theres no financial benefit to just having a goal-you just get a psychological benefit” Schweitzer says. “But in many cases, goals have financial rewards that make them more powerful.”A major example Schweitzer and his colleagues give is the 2004 breakdown of energy-tra
25、ding giant Enron( 德国平稳公司), where managers used financial rewards to motivate salesmen to meet specific goals. The problem, Schweitzer says, is that the actual trades were not profitable. Other studies have shown that burdening employees with unrealistic goals can force them to lie, cheat or steal. S
26、uch was the case in the early 1990s when Sears(西尔斯公司)placed a sales quota (销售限额) on its auto repair staff. It inspired employees to overcharge for work and to complete unnecessary repairs on a companywide basis.Schweitzer admits his research runs counter to a very large body of literature that prais
27、es the many benefits of goal-setting. Advocates of the practice have argued with his teams use of such evidence as news accounts to support his conclusion that goal-setting is widely over-praised.In a rebuttal (反对) paper, Dr. Edwin Locke writes: “Goal-setting is not going away. Organizations cannot
28、grow without being focused on their desired end results any more than an individual can grow without goals to provide a sense of purpose.”But Schweitzer argues the “evidence” linking goal-setting and harmful behavior should be studied to help draw attention to issues that deserve attention and furth
29、er investigation. “Even a few negative effects could be so large that they outweigh many positive effects,” he says.The debate is likely to get heated on in future papers, and the practice of setting goals no doubt will continue. For now, though, the lesson seems to be to put more thought into setti
30、ng goals.“Goal-setting does help motivate people. My idea would be to combine that with careful management, a strong organizational culture, and make sure the goals that you use are going to be constructive and not significantly harmful to the organization,” Schweitzer says.10What does Maurice Schwe
31、itzer want to show by mentioning the example of Enron?A. Setting realistic goals can turn a failing business into success.B. Businesses are likely to succeed without realistic goals.C. Companies are certain to meet specific goals with financial rewards.D. Goals with financial rewards have strong mot
32、ivational power.11How did Sears goal-setting affect its employees?A. They had to work more hours to increase their sales.B. They competed with one another to attract more customers.C. They turned to immoral practice to reach their goals.D. They improved their customer service on a companywide basis.
33、12The underlined words “runs counter to” (Paragraph 7) can be replaced by _.A. agrees withB. goes againstC. fits in withD. applies to13What is Edwin Lockes argument against Schweitzer?A. The practice of setting goals only helps people to develop.B. Goal-setting is of no use motivating people to acco
34、mplish their tasks.C. The positive effects of goal-setting outweigh its negative effects.D. Studying goal-setting can contribute to successful business practices.14According to the passage, the author tries to convey _. A. the goals that most people set are unrealistic.B. all people can improve thei
35、r work quality by setting goals.C. setting goals can provide people with a sense of purpose.D. people should not ignore the negative effects of goal-setting.She is widely seen as proof that good looks can last forever. But, at nearly 500 years of age, time is catching up with the Mona Lisa.The healt
36、h of the famous picture, painted by Leonardo da Vinci in 1505, is getting worse by the year, according to the Louvre museum(卢浮宫博物馆)where it is housed.“The thin, wooden panel on which the Mona Lisa is painted in oil has changed shape since experts checked it two years ago,” the museum said. Visitors
37、have noticed the changes but repairing the worlds most famous painting is not easy. Experts are not sure about the materials the Italian artist used and their current chemical state.Nearly 6 million people go to see the Mona Lisa every year, many attracted by the mystery of her smile. “It is very in
38、teresting that when youre not looking at her, she seems to be smiling, and then you look at her and she stops,” said Professor Margaret Livingstone of Harvard University. “Its because direct vision(视觉)is excellent at picking up detail, but less suited to looking at shadows. Da Vinci painted the smil
39、e in shadows.”However, the actual history of the Mona Lisa is just as mysterious as the smile. Da Vinci himself loved it so much that he always carried it with him, until it was eventually sold to Frances King Francis I in 1519.In 1911, the painting was stolen from the Louvre by a former employee, w
40、ho took it out of the museum hidden under his coat. He said he planned to return it to Italy. The painting was sent back to France two years later.During World War II, French hid the painting in small towns to keep it out of the hands of German forces.Like many old ladies, the Mona Lisa has some int
41、eresting stories to tell.15The underlined sentence in the first paragraph means the Mona Lisa _.A. is losing its valueB. is being damaged after so many yearsC. is getting more valuable with years passingD. will rot away16Experts havent any repairs on the Mona Lisa because_.A. it is now in a poor che
42、mical stateB. they dont know how to replace the wooden panelC .they dont have the materials Da Vinci usedD. they are afraid it will be done further damage.17The smile of the Mona Lisa can only be seen_.A. by indirect visionB. at a distanceC. by direct visionD. in shadows18From the last paragraph, we
43、 can infer that_.A. many interesting stories have been written about the Mona LisaB. people are interested in the stories about the Mona Lisa.C. some mysteries still remain to be solved about the Mona Lisa.D. Many more stories will be told about the Mona Lisa.There are many great movie directors of
44、all time and the following are five of those who have largely impressed audience with their body of work.As a member of the New Hollywood gang, Francis Coppola is best remembered for The God Father series. His decision to cast Marlon Brando in the lead also met with fierce opposition from the studio
45、 bosses. Good sense became popular, and The God Father went on to become one of the most memorable movies ever. Critics may point out that he has become less creative after his seventies, but try as one might, no one can possibly take the place of this great directors work.Stanley Kubricks movies fo
46、cus on the themes like sci-fi, horror, dark humor and war. He used symbolism in most of his movies, giving us some wonderful screen visuals, as shown in 2001: A Space Odyssey. His actors in Hollywood complained about the endless number of retakes, but they appreciated the performance he milked out o
47、f them. People argue about films like Lolita, A Clockwork Orange and Paths of Glory, but these are now seen as classics. Steven Spielberg is a great success at the box office, and he is one of the worlds most popular filmmakers today. As the creator of classics like Schindlers List, Jurassic Park, E
48、T, Indiana Jones series, Jaws, Saving Private Ryan, no one can win his hold over the audience. His critics accuse him of being emotional and over the top, but the fact remains that his movies attract the audience, and set the cash registers ringing. Woody Allen is a director who directs movies full of crime and hate. This comic genius has given us Annie Hall, Hannah and Her Sisters and