阅读理解

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C、D)中选出最佳选项。

　　Conan Doyle became famous for writing stories about Detective Holmes. So he was often asked to settle puzzling problems.

　　One day, a woman told him a strange story. Her husband had died 5 years before, and a grave had been built for him. The grave was built like this: on the huge stone base was a big stone ball, in the front of which a cross was cut. The ball would move in winter and the cross in the stone hall could hardly seen.

　　Conan Doyle decided to see how matters stood with the woman. The grave was just like the woman had told him. And nobody could move the stone ball, which was put in a very shallow hole in the stone base. So it couldn't roll off. There was water in the hole, too. He thought for a minute and then said to the woman. “The problem is easy to explain, it's very cold and often rains or snows here. So there is always water in the hole. The water turns into ice at night. During the day, the southern part of the ice in the hole turns into water again while the northern part of it still remains ice, so the stone ball leans southward little by little and the cross in the stone ball moves downwards with the ball.”

1．Why did the woman leave her husband's grave built like that?

[　　]

A．Conan Doyle told her to do so.

B．Holmes told her to do so.

C．Her husband told her to do so before he died.

D．The story didn't tell us the reason.

2．From the story we can see that Conan Doyle was a man ________.

[　　]

A．who was always ready to help others

B．who wrote a lot of funny stories

C．who was careful and thoughtful

D．who always explained funny problems

3．On hearing what Conan Doyle had said, perhaps the woman would ________.

[　　]

A．think what Conan Doyle said was responsible

B．feel that she might be fooled by him

C．feel that she was too silly to explain it

D．think that Conan Doyle said was without reason

4．From the following cutaway views (剖视图) choose the correct one which shows the relationship between the stone.

(sl＝stone ball　　SE＝stone base)

[　　]

 

Prison Break is a huge hit thanks to its handsome star，Wentworth Miller． His actor, Michael Scofield, is the engine that drives the show．

Michael Scofield is one of the most interesting personalities on television today．But what about the man behind the character?

Miller，35，is a hard guy to figure out．He does not come from a normal background and has never lived his life in a typical way．

Milier didn't take a direct path to fame and fortune．He graduated from Princeton University in 1995，not with a degree in theatre or film, but in English．He didn't even act when he was in college．His only performance experience was in his university's singing group．Yet, at graduation Miller still decided to make the move to Hollywood．

Miller has always been different．Although he is American, he was born in Britain when his father was studying there．His family background is also a special mix of cultures．“My father is black and my mother is white．That means I have always been caught in the middle．I could be either one, which can make you feel out of place，”Miller says．

Following his unusual path，Miller did not start trying out for films and TV shows when he first got to Hollywood．Instead, he worked as a lowly production assistant．Not what you would expect  from a Princeton graduate．However, it all paid of for Miller in the end．

In 2002，Miller played a role in the drama Dinotopia．He starred as a thoughtful and shy man．Producers remembered his performance when they were casting Prison Break two years later．With a golden globe nomination（提名） and another season of Prison Break on his resume（履历），Miller seems ready to take over all of Hollywood．

1．What do you think the text is mainly about?

A．What kind person Michael Scofield is．

B．Miller's unusual path to fame and fortune．

C．Why Fox's Prison Break became a huge hit．

D．How special Miller is in the entertainment field．

2．The author thinks“Miller is a hard guy to figure out”because           ．

A．he is an unfriendly man to cooperate With

B．he is of a special family background

   C．he has a different life experience from the others

D．both B and C

3．What's the closest meaning of the underlined sentence“it all paid off for Miller in the end”?

    A．Miller put a lot of effort for his final success．

    B．Miller had to pay a lot of money for his graduation．

    C．Miller got a lot of money and gained his reputation at last．

    D．Miller finally succeeded even though he had been in low position．

4．Which of the following statements is true?

    A．Miller succeeded in the field that he had never majored in．

    B．Miller had lots of movie performance experiences when he was in college．

    C．Milier's only performance experience in university made him move to Hollywood．

D．Miller was chosen to play a role in Rison Break because he is a thoughtful and shy guy．

Steve, a twelve-year-old boy with alcoholic parents, was about to be lost forever, by the U.S. education system. Remarkably, he could read, yet, in spite of his reading skills, Steve was failing. He had been failing since first grade, as he was passed on from grade to grade. Steve was a big boy, looking more like a teenager than a twelve year old, yet, Steve went unnoticed... until Miss White.

Miss White was a smiling, young, beautiful redhead, and Steve was in love! For the first time in his young life, he couldn’t take his eyes off his teacher; yet, still he failed. He never did his homework, and he was always in trouble with Miss White. His heart would break under her sharp words, and when he was punished for failing to turn in his homework, he felt just miserable! Still, he did not study.

In the middle of the first semester of school, the entire seventh grade was tested for basic skills. Steve hurried through his tests, and continued to dream of other things, as the day wore on. His heart was not in school, but in the woods, where he often escaped alone, trying to shut out the sights, sounds and smells of his alcoholic home. No one checked on him to see if he was safe. No one knew he was gone, because no one was sober（清醒的） enough to care. Oddly, Steve never missed a day of school.

One day, Miss White’s impatient voice broke into his daydreams. “Steve!!” Startled, he turned to look at her.

“Pay attention!”

Steve locked his gaze on Miss White with adolescent adoration (青春期的爱慕), as she began to go over the test results for the seventh grade.

“You all did pretty well,” she told the class, “except for one boy, and it breaks my heart to tell you this, but...” She hesitated, pinning Steve to his seat with a sharp stare, her eyes searching his face.

“...The smartest boy in the seventh grade is failing my class!”

She just stared at Steve, as the class spun around for a good look. Steve dropped his eyes and carefully examined his fingertips.

　After that, it was war!! Steve still wouldn’t do his homework. Even as the punishments became more severe, he remained stubborn.

“Just try it! ONE WEEK!” He was unmoved.

“You’re smart enough! You’ll see a change!” Nothing fazed him.

“Give yourself a chance! Don’t give up on your life!” Nothing.

“Steve! Please! I care about you!”

Wow! Suddenly, Steve got it!! Someone cared about him? Someone, totally unattainable and perfect, CARED ABOUT HIM??!!

Steve went home from school, thoughtful, that afternoon. Walking into the house, he took one look around. Both parents were passed out, in various stages of undress, and the stench(恶臭) was overpowering! He, quickly, gathered up his camping gear, a jar of peanut butter, a loaf of bread, a bottle of water, and this time...his schoolbooks. Grim faced and determined, he headed for the woods.

The following Monday he arrived at school on time, and he waited for Miss White to enter the classroom. She walked in, all sparkle and smiles! God, she was beautiful! He yearned for her smile to turn on him. It did not.

Miss White, immediately, gave a quiz on the weekend homework. Steve hurried through the test, and was the first to hand in his paper. With a look of surprise, Miss White took his paper. Obviously puzzled, she began to look it over. Steve walked back to his desk, his heart pounding within his chest. As he sat down, he couldn’t resist another look at the lovely woman.

Miss White’s face was in total shock! She glanced up at Steve, then down, then up. Suddenly, her face broke into a radiant smile. The smartest boy in the seventh grade had just passed his first test!

From that moment nothing was the same for Steve. Life at home remained the same, but life still changed. He discovered that not only could he learn, but he was good at it!

He discovered that he could understand and retain knowledge, and that he could translate the things he learned into his own life. Steve began to excel! And he continued this course throughout his school life.

After high-school Steve enlisted in the Navy, and he had a successful military career. During that time, he met the love of his life, he raised a family, and he graduated from college Magna Cum Laude. During his Naval career, he inspired many young people, who without him, might not have believed in themselves. Steve began a second career after the Navy, and he continues to inspire others, as an adjunct professor（副教授） in a nearby college。

Miss White left a great legacy. She saved one boy who has changed many lives. I know, because I am the love of his life.

You see, it’s simple, really. A change took place within the heart of one boy, all because of one teacher, who cared.

1.What does the underlined sentence in the first paragraph mean?

A．Steve would give up schooling forever.

B．Steve was at a loss about improving his study.

C．Being unhappy both in school and at home, Steve intended to end his own life.

D．Due to his poor study, Steve was about to be expelled from his school.

2.What made Steve change greatly all of a sudden?

A．Miss White’s encouragement             B．Miss White’s praise

C．knowing Miss White concerned him         D．Miss White’s persuasion

3.What might be the best title for this passage?

A．A boy loves his teacher                   B．The difference a teacher can make

C．A great teacher                         D．Please care about your students