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四、阅读理解
36、根据以下材料回答第 1～4 题：
Passage One
George Mason must rank with John Adams and James Madison as one of the three
Founding Fathers who left their personal imprint(印记)on the fundamental law of the United States．He was the principal author of the Virginia Declaration of Rights，which，because of its early formation，greatly influenced other state constitutions framed during theRevolution and。through them，the Federal Bill of Rights of l791．
Yet Mason was essentially a private person with very little inclination／or public officeor the ordinary operation of politics beyond the country level．His appearances in the Virginia colonial and state legislatures were relatively brief，and not until l787 did he consentto represent his state at a continental or national congress or convention．Polities was never more than a means for Masson．He was at all times a man of public spirit，but politicswas never a way of life，never for long his central concern．It took a revolution to pry himaway from home and family at Gunston Hail。mobilize his skill and energy for constitutional construction，and transform him，in one brief moment of brilliant leadership，into astatesman whose work would endure to influence the lives and fortunes of those“millionsyet unborn”of whom he and his generation of Americans spoke so frequently and thought so constantly．
The author regards George Mason’s personal contribution to American law as ．


37、Mason’s relation to the Federal Bill of Rights was one of ．


38、The passage indicates that，for Mason，politieaI activities were ．


39、The author indicated that Mason’S brilliant leadership ability ．


40、根据以下材料回答第 1～4 题：
Passge Two
Many people think a telephone is essential：But I think it is a pest and a time waster.Very often you find it impossible tO escape from some idle or inquistive chatter-box，or from somebody who wants something for nothin9．If you have a telephone in your own house，vou will admit that it tends to ring when you least want it to rin9；when you are asleep，or in the middle of a rneaI or a conversation，or when you are j ust going out,or when vou are in your bath：Are you stron9—minded enough to ignore it，to say to yourself’“Ah，well it will all be the same in a hundred year’S time?”You are not．You think there mav be some important news or message for you．I can assure you that if a message is real1v important it will reach you sooner or later．Have you never rushed dripping from the bath，or chewing from the table，or dazed from the bed，only to be told that you are a wrong number?
But you will say，you need not have your name printed in the telephone directory，and you can have a telephone which is only usable for outgoing call．Besides，you will say，isn't it important to have a telephone in case of sudden emergency－illness，accident，or fire? Of course，you are right，but here in a thickly populated country like England orm is
seldom far from a telephone in case of dreadful necessity．
I think perhaps I had better try to justify myself by trying to prove that what I like is good．1 admit that in different circumstances--if l were a tycoon(实业界巨头)，for instance，or bedridden I might find a telephone essential．But then if l were a taxidriver I should find a car essential．Let me put it another way：there are two things for which the English seem to show particular aptitude：one is mechanical invention，the other is literature．My own business happens to be with the use of words but I see I must now stop using them．For haye just been handed a slip of paper to say that somebody is waiting to speak to me on the telephone． I think I had better answer it． After all，one never knows，it may be something important．
What does the work“pest”in the second sentence of the first paragraph mean?



41、The author says he is not strong—minded enough to ignore the telephone because　　．


42、Which of the following statements may be considered an honor to a telephone?


43、The author uses the examples of a tycoon and a taxi—driver to show that ．


44、根据以下材料回答第 1～4 题：
Passage Three
Many of the problems we face today are not so new as we think they are．And some of our modern solutions are not so new，either．The problem of energy shortages and the so1ution of using solar energy go back at least to early Greek cultures．The climate in the coastal areas of Greece 2，500 years ago was characterized by cool winters，much as it is todav．At that time，the Greeks heated their homes with small，charcoal—burning heaters．In other words，wood(which is used to make charcoal)was their primary source of energy. However，by the fifth century B C fuel shortages had become common because，in many parts of Greece，the firewood in the forests had been depleted．Once the supply of firewood from the local forests ran out，pegple began to use the wood from olive groves as fuel．But this solution had its own problem．It reduced the olive crop，a valuable resource to the Greeks．By the fourth century B C，the city of Athens banned the use of olive wood for fuel．Wood had to be imported from farther and farther away，making it more difficult to obtain and more expensive to use．About this time the Greeks began to build their housed facing south，so that the low sun in winter could penetrate and help heat the interiors．Excavations of ancient Greek cities suggest that large areas were planned so that individual homes could take maximum advantage of passive solar energy．
The word“depleted”means ．


45、According to the passage， ．