���˸߿�

四、Reading Comprehension(60 points)
36、根据下列材料回答36-55 题。
Passage One
　　The phoenix was one of the most magnificent birds that ever lived．Unfortunately for birdwatchers，the grand phoenix lived only in the imaginations of the ancient Greeks and Egyp．tians．
According to Greek mythology，only one phoenix at a time lived on etLrth．The phoenix，amale，was brightly colored，with gold and red feathers．Legend has it that the single bird livedfor exactly 500 years．Just before it was toDie，it would build a nest．The mythical bird，s lasttask was to sit patiently on the nest，waiting for the sun to start theDry twigs burning and setthe nest ablaze．But as the proud phoenix sacrificed itself in flame，a tiny worm would crawlfrom beneath the ashes．This worm grew into a new phoenix．Its first task Was to gather up itsfather's ashes and bury them in the temple of the Egyptian sun god in Heliopolis，the City ofthe Sun．Each reborn phoenix lived out the remainder of its life in Arabia．
　　Today，the phoenix symbolizes immortality．Also，someone who succeeds where he or she had previously failed is often referred to as a phoenix．
This passageDiscusses an ancient_________．
A．king
B．kyth
C．kairy tale
D．kod


37、 Most of a phoenix’s life was supposedly spent in_________．
A．Greece
B．Egypt
C．Heliopolis
D．Arabia


38、 Someone who is called a phoenix today _________．
A．has come back from aDefeat
B．is probably immortal
C．thinks he or she can live forever
D．Is not well liked by colleagues


39、 The life of the phoenix isDescribed_________．
A．with the use of facts
B．in a humorous way
C．in all unclear way
D．step-by-step


40、根据下列材料回答40-59 题。
Passage Two
　　Although no one is certain why migration occurs，there are several theories．One theory isbased upon the premise that prehistoric birds of the northen Hemisphere were forced southDur-ing the Ice Age，when glaciers covered large parts of Europe，Asia，and North America．As theglaciers melted，the birds came back to their homelands，spent the summer，and then went southagain as the ice advanced in winter．In time，the migration became a habit，and now，althoughthe glaciers haveDisappeared，the habit continues．
　　Another theory proposes that the ancestral home of all modem birds was the tropics．Whenthe region became overpopulated，many species were crowded north．During the summer，therewas plenty of food，but During the winter，scarcity forced them to retum to the tropics．
　　A more recent theory，known as photoperiodism，suggests a relationship between increasingday light and the stimulation of certain glands in the birds’bodies that may prepare them for mi—gration．One scientist has been able to cause midwinter migrations by exposing birds to artificialperiods of Daylight．He has concluded that changes occur in the bodies of birdsDue to　seasonalchanges in the length of Day light．
According to one theory，when the glaciers Disappeared，birds_________．
A．stopped migrating
B．continued migrating
C．began migrating again
D．migrated south and stay there


41、 The author states that birds left the tropics because_________．
A．there Was not enough food there in the winter
B．there were too many birds
C．there were too many glaciers
D．there was too muchDaylight


42、 WhyDid one scientist expose birds to artificialDaylight?
A．To test the relationship betweenDaylight and aDisease of the glands common tobords
B．To test the relationship betweenDaylight and migration．
C．To test the relationship between migration and temperature．
D．To test the relationship betweenDaylight and changes in the season．


43、 According to the theory of photoperiodism，_________．
A．birds should migrate in the middle of the winter
B．longerDays cause changes in the bodies of birds
C．seasonal changes in the length ofDaysDo not affect migration
D．increasing Daylight increases the Distance of migration


44、根据下列材料回答44-63 题。
Passage Three
　　It is 2 a．m．You took too long over Dinner，the coast is still a couple of hundred kilometersaway and it is essential to get that early morning ferry．And your car radiator pipe has split．Attimes like that，theDocuments making up your insurance kit lying in the front of your ear seemuseless．The nearest phone was passed three kilometers back，and it would be reasonable to ex．pect someDelay in getting breakdown assistance when you have finally phoned through．
　　If on the other hand，you've got a spare in the car，five minutes'work should 8ee you on your wayagain．The majority of breakdownsDo involve minor and easily changed parts．A few basic tools and theright mix of spal'es are well worth the space they take up．But to sort out which ones are most likely tobe needed，and to buy them，咖be expensive．
　　That is why the motoring organizations have come up with rental kits．For about 50 pence aday(slightly more to non-members)they will supply a boxed range of spares for a given car．　　　　　Onreturning the kit the motorist pays for any that are used，plus a small fee for repacking．Depositsare about￡20．
　　It is much better，however，to reduce the risk of breakdowns by seeing that your car is prop—erly serviced before setting out．Particularly whenDriving at high speed over longDistances in hotweather．
　　Finally，it makes sense to purchase a safety triangle and an emergency plastic windscreen before leaving．Make sure all your fellow travellers know where yourDocuments are；give one aspare set of keys，and slip into the back of your wallet a large banknote for the emergencies where a credit card won’tDo．
In order to avoidDisaster it would be wise_________．
A．to spend five minutes checking the car before you leave
B．to carry some emergency spares with you
C．to buy a cheap set of spares before leaving
D．to prevent all breakdowns from happening


45、 While on a motoring holiday abroad you might find yourself inDifficulties because
A．you have brought the wrongDocuments with you
B．your ferry has just left without you
C．the nearest phone is out of order
D．a repair to your car might take some time