大學英語閱讀三級Passage

1、Passage 1The secret of being born lucky is a summer birthday, with May babies most likely to enjoy a lifetimes good fortune, according to a study of more than 40,000 people. The time of year at which you are born has an enduring influence on levels of optimism and self-reported luck, according to re

2、search by British and Swedish scientists. May was the luckiest month in which to be born, with 50 per cent of those born then considering themselves lucky, while October was the least lucky month, with just 43 percent claiming good fortune.The findings add to growing evidence that the phenomenon of

3、luck is not all down to chance, but is affected by a person s general disposition. Other research has shown that whether people think themselves fortunate depends less on objective success than on having a “glass half-full” or “half-empty” approach to life. “What we are seeing suggests that somethin

4、g is influencing how people perceive their luckiness. My hypothesis is that people create their own luck by traits such as optimism, that luck is a psychological phenomenon rather than a matter of blind chance,” said Professor Richard Wise man, who led the research.The pattern of the results, with t

5、hose born in spring and summer reporting themselves luckier than those born in autumn or winter, could have two potential explanations, Professor Wiseman said.1. According to the passage, whether people think themselves lucky not depends on the following factors EXCEPT _A) ones objective success B)

6、ones general dispositionC) ones attitude to life D) ones place of birth2. According to the passage, those who were born in _ regard themselves as the most fortunate. A) March B) April C) May D) October3. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?A) Optimistic people tend to

7、be luckier. B) Devoted people tend to be luckier.C) Objective success is more important than ones general disposition in feeling lucky.D) People drinking more water tend to be luckier.4. Which of the following words can best replace the word “trait”(Line 8, Para. 2)?A) quality. B) expectation. C) be

8、lief. D) idea.5.What is the best title for the passage?A) Luck is Something Born.B) Luck is Not All Down to Chance. C) Luck is A Matter of Blind Chance.D) Luck and Age.Passage 2Researchers say most of us make instant judgement about a person on the basis of how they look. They say facial features ca

9、n determine whether we like or trust someone. It may even influence how we vote.“Over the years, we have found that facial features affect the way many of us perceive others,” says Elisabeth Cornwell, a psychology researcher at the universitys Perception Laboratory. Studies suggest that people are l

10、ess likely to trust those with particularly masculine features, such as a square jaw, small eyes or big nose. “They are perceived as dominant and less trustworthy,” says Ms Cornwell. “It doesnt mean that men who look more masculine are less trustworthyIts just our first impressions. “ Those with les

11、s masculine featureslarger eyes, a smaller nose and thinner lipsare deemed to be more trustworthy. “We are very good at processing these features quickly,” says Ms Cornwell.The researchers are putting their science to the test at the Royal societys annual summer exhibition in London. They have subtl

12、y manipulated the faces of Prime Minister Tony Blair, Conservative leader Michael Howard and Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy accentuating their dominant and trustworthy features respectively. “We have used a computer programme to change the shape of their face and features. We hope it will h

13、elp people to understand our work.” So should we expect to see Tony Blair, Michael Howard and Charles Kennedy at the exhibition getting tips? “I dont think its something they will want to try,” says Ms Cornwell. “Its not really possible with television. We all know what they look like. I think they

14、would be naive to try it.”1. Why are people less likely to trust those with particularly masculine features?A) Because they are bad-tempered.B) Because they are perceived as dominant and less trustworthy.C) Because they are perceived as tricky.D) Because they are more stubborn.2. According to the pa

15、ssage, which of the following is perceived as a g masculine feature?A) Larger eyes. B) A square jaw.C) A smaller nose. D) Thinner lips.3. What can be inferred from the passage?A) Most of us tend to judge people by how they look.B) Some studies show that people with particular masculine features are

16、more dominant.C) A candidate with less masculine features is more likely to win a vote.D) Most of us are with masculine features.4. Why will Tony Blair not want to change his facial features according to the passage?A) Because he is so popular that everyone knows what he looks like.B) Because he doe

17、s not want to get tips.C) Because he has great confidence in his looks.D) Because he is very naive.5. What is the best title for the passage?A) Facial Features.B) How People Perceive Others.C) Facial Features Are Everything.D) How Facial Features Affect Ones First Impression.Passage 3British univers

18、ity entrants expect to be provided with washing machines and dryers in their rooms, and even car parking spaces, a survey has found. Students are also less prepared to tolerate poor quality living conditions than their predecessors, says the survey by British polling organization Mori.More than 1,00

19、0 full-time undergraduates and postgraduates from 21 universities across the UK were surveyed for the research. It shows that location is the key factor in choosing accommodation for studentsnearly half of those interviewed said that being close to their place of study was the most important factor

20、in their choice. Cost came second, with evidence that many parents foot the bills for their childrens rent. The survey also shows that students are no longer prepared to carry bags of washing to the nearest launderette. These newcomers expect washers and dryers to be provided with their accommodatio

21、n. The study also highlights those things todays students expect as standardcommunal areas to be cleaned regularly, utility bills to be included, even private car parking space to be included.Separate findings from the UKs National Union of Students published earlier this year show more than half of

22、 students in private rented accommodation are living in unsatisfactory conditions.1. Who are the subjects of the survey?A) Some oversea students in U. K.B) Some undergraduates and postgraduates in U. K. universities.C) Some graduates in U. K. universities.D) Some British students in other countries.

23、2. What kind of accommodation is the most attractive to students according to the survey by British polling organization Mori?A) An apartment near their universities.B) A cheap house far way from their universities.C) An apartment with car parking space.D) An apartment with washing machines.3. Which

24、 of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?A) The survey described in the passage is conducted by UK s National Union of Students.B) Most of the subjects are from universities in London.C) Most college students pay the rent by themselves.D) Students think that communal areas shoul

25、d be cleaned regularly by cleaners rather than themselves.4. According to the passage, the choice of accommodation is influenced by the following factors EXCEPT _.A) convenience B) comfortC) low rents D) weather5. What does the survey indicate?A) U. K. university students are increasingly satisfied

26、with their living conditions.B) U. K. university students are less and less energetic.C) U. K. university students demand higher qualities of their living conditions.D) U. K. university students pay less and less attention to their studies.Passage 4The former first lady and now New York Senator, Hil

27、lary Rodham Clinton, has written a book about her eight years in the White House. It is being released with a great deal of public fanfare. The book reveals details about the notorious Monica Lewinsky scandal involving her husband, President Clinton.In Living History, the wife of former President Cl

28、inton recounts the moment when Mr. Clinton informed her that he had, fact, had what he called “a relationship that was not appropriate” with Miss Lewinsky, then a White House intern. She writes, “I could hardly breathe. Gulping for air, I started crying and yelling at him. What do you mean? What are

29、 you saying? Why did you lie to me? I was furious and getting more so by the second. He just stood there saying over and over again, Im sorry. Im so sorry. I was trying to protect you and Chelsea, referring to their daughter.”Mrs. Clinton says she hopes that people will read the book for more than i

30、ntimate details of her troubled marriage. “It s a pretty long book, and its about my life, and its about all of the issues that Ive worked on, particularly on behalf of women and children, and things that I ye cared about literally since I was a little girl,” she said. “I think it will give people m

31、ore insight and, perhaps, answer questions. Its also my story.”Publisher Simon & Schuster paid Senator Clinton $ 8 million for the 560-page book, and has ordered an unusually large first printing of one-million copies. Publishing rights to the book already have been sold in 16 countries.1. What

32、appeals to the readers most in the book Living History according to the passage?A) Hilarys eight years in the White House.B) Hilarys troubled marriage.C) The issues that Hilary have worked on.D) Hilarys life as a senator.2. The word “notorious” (Line 4, Para. 1) is closest in meaning to_.A) well-kno

33、wn B) unheard-ofC) surprising D) amusing3. Which of the following can best describe Hilarys reaction when Mr. Clinton told her his inappropriate relationship with Miss Lewinsky?A) Indifferent. B) Calm.C) Angry. D) Astonished.4. What is Hilarys comment on her own book?A) It is more than interesting.B

34、) It can meet the need of people to know about other s intimacy.C) It is an academic bookD) The language of the book is beautiful.5. What CANNOT be inferred from the passage?A) Living History is expected to sell well.B) Living History will be published beyond America.C) Mrs. Clinton is well paid for

35、 the book Living History.D) Mr. Clinton is a responsible husband.passage 5The human form of mad cow disease, an incurable, brain-wasting illness thats killed more than 100 people in Britain, has claimed its first Canadian victim. Canadian health officials confirmed Thursday that the unidentified man

36、 died sometime this summer. The man, who lived in the western province of Saskatchewan, contracted the disease from eating contaminated meat while traveling in Britain.Dr. Antonio Giulivi, an official with the government agency Health Canada, quickly moved to calm fears by assuring the public the di

37、sease had not entered the Canadian food supply.The variant of the cow-killing illness, known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, is believed to be caused when ground parts of diseased cattle are mixed into cattle feed and those cows are turned into processed meats for human consumption. Though the disease

38、 cannot be confirmed until an autopsy is performed on the dead brain, symptoms of human infection include uncontrolled shaking, dementia and finally paralysis.But while government officials insisted safeguards are in place to keep the disease out of Canadian meat, warnings were issued to 71 patients

39、 at the hospital where the infected man was treated before his illness was identified. Those patients had been treated with the same medical instruments used on the diseased man. Though the instruments were cleaned and disinfected, officials said a theoretical possibility remains that those people c

40、ould have been infected.News of the death initially sent Canadian restaurant stocks into a tailspin, but most of them recovered by the end of the trading session.1. Where is the Canadian supposed to contact mad cow disease?A) In Saskatchewan. B) In Britain.C) In Canada. D) Not mentioned.2. Which par

41、t of the body does the mad cow disease mainly affect?A) Hands. B) Legs.C) Brain. D) Liver.3. Why did the Canadian government issue warnings to 71 patients?A) They ever used the same medical instruments with the first Canadian victim.B) They were intimate relatives of the first Canadian victim.C) The

42、y had ever traveled to Britain.D) They were supposed to have contacted mad cow disease.4. What did Health Canada do after the mad cow disease infected a Canadian?A) Health Canada concealed the truth by all means.B) Health Canada tried to remove public fear.C) Health Canada succeeded in curing the vi

43、ctim.D) Health Canada tried to find ways to cure the disease.5. What can be inferred from the passage?A) The news of the mad cow disease death has no effect on Canadian economy.B) We can decide whether a person contract mad cow disease by the symptoms of uncontrolled shaking, dementia and paralysis.

44、C) Some cows in Canada contracted mad cow disease.D) The mad cow disease is not completely known to the scientists yet.Passage 6A United Nations report is sounding an alarm on the state of the earths natural resources, in advance of this month s U. N. -sponsored sustainable development summit in Joh

45、annesburg.The report says sea levels rose and forests were destroyed at unprecedented rates during the last decade. It notes that more than 40 percent of the worlds populationtwo billion people now face water shortages. And it predicts that with the global population expected to increase from six bi

46、llion to eight billion people over the next 25 years, further environmental stress is expected. U.N. Undersecretary General Nitin Desai says the most important message in the report is that the worlds environmental crises are interrelated. As an example, he cites the “Asian Brown Cloud,” a “poisonou

47、s cocktail” of particulate matter, chemicals, and various aerosols currently hanging over a vast area of southeast Asia.“Here you have a situation which arises because of the unsustainable way energy is used in this region, which is leading to these problems which impact on agriculture, on water, on

48、 health,” said Mr. Desai. “If you really want to address water, agriculture and health, you have to address energy. You cant reduce poverty unless you also address land and water. You cant improve childrens health without addressing water and sanitation and air quality.”Mr. Desai, who will lead the

49、Earth Summit, says that governments must form specific partnerships to reduce threats in five areas: water, energy, agriculture, biodiversity and health.1. When is the U.N. report mentioned in the passage released?A) At the sustainable development summit.B) Before the Earth Summit.C) After the susta

50、inable development summit.D) Last year.2. “Asian Brown Cloud” is used as an example to show that _ A) environmental protection needs cooperation.B) Asia is the most polluted area in the world. C) air pollution in Asia is very serious. D) travelers are warned not to visit Asia.3. What results in the

51、problems concerning agriculture, water and health according to the passage?A) The rising sea level.B) The conflicts around the world. C) The improved living standard. D) The unsustainable way energy is used.4. What does the word “address” (Line 4, Para. 3) mean?A) Speak to. B) Make a formal speech t

52、o.C) Deal with. D) Make use of.5. What can be inferred from the passage?A) Natural resource shortage will be a great problem in the future. B) Poverty can be reduced by increasing production.C) Sustainable development is impossible.D) Southeast Asia is the most polluted area in the world.Passage 7Th

53、e University of Chicago is a private, nondenominational, coeducational institution of higher learning and research. It is located in the community of Hyde ParkSouth Ken-wood, a culturally rich and ethnically diverse neighborhood, seven miles south of downtown Chicago.The University was founded by Jo

54、hn D. Rockefeller. William Rainey Harper was its first president. Classes began on October 1, 1892, with an enrollment of 594 students and a faculty of 103, including eight former college presidents. In 1930 the undergraduate College and the graduate divisions were created. Such cross-fertilization

55、continues to characterize the University.Candidates for admission to graduate programs in the divisions at the University of Chicago should address their inquiries, including requests for application forms, to the dean of students of the graduate division to which application is being made.An applic

56、ant who holds a degree from an accredited institution is considered for admission on the basis of (1) an undergraduate record, (2) a well-organized plan for graduate study, (3) Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and TOEFL scores, where required, and (4) recommendations from three college faculty memb

57、ers acquainted with the character, ability, potential, qualifications, and motivation of he applicant. Persons who have been away from school for several years may submit recommendations from employers, professional associates, or supervisors. Transcripts of all academic work should be submitted with the application if at all possible; the applicant should request each institution attended to provide an official transcript in a settled envelope.I. What can be concluded from the first paragraph?A) Only boys were admitted when the Universi