IV Reading Comprehension (60points)

　　Directions:There are five reading passages in this part. Each passage is followed by four

　　questions. For each question there are four suggested answers marked A,B, C and D.Choose one best answer and blacken the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet.

　　Passage One

　　What do you use to get around town? A car? A bike? Your feet? Perhaps you should try a Segway!

　　The Segway is perfect for short journey. It’s an electric vehicle that consists of a platform between two wheels, with a pole that connects the platform to the handlebars. To ride it ,you step up onto the platform, and control the Segway by moving your body. Lean forwards to go faster, and backwards to slow down.

　　On older models, direction is controlled by a twist grip (扭轉(zhuǎn)把手)on the left handlebar. This varies the speeds between the two motors, a decrease in the speed of the left wheel would turn the Segway to the left .With newer models you simply lean to the left or right. Meanwhile, a gyroscope (陀螺儀)detects your movements and prevents the machine from falling over. The Segway has a maximum speed of 19 km per hour and a range of about 38 km. After that, you need to plug it in and recharge the battery.

　　Segways are used for a variety of purposes. People with mobility problems can now enjoy walks in the country with their friends and family. Some golfers us them as an alternative to the golf cart. And dog owners now have an easier way to take the dog to the park. A few police forces use Segways, too. They allow officers to move quickly whilst maintaining contact with the public. They’re also becoming a common sight on airport. However, the most popular use is in tourism, particularly for city tours. Visit any major tourist city in summer, sit outside a cafe for a while and there’s a good change you’ll see a group of tourists passing on Segways.

　　36.What is the Segway according to this passage?

　　A.A pole that connects two handlebars

　　B.A newly appeared public traffic vehicle.

　　C.A bicycle with a platform between two wheels.

　　D.An electric two-wheeled vehicle for short trips.

　　37.How do you turn to the left on Segways of newer models?

　　A. Lean to the left. B. Adjust the twist grip.

　　C. Press the left bar. D. Control gyroscope

　　38.How far can you travel on a Segway at most?

　　A. less than 19 km. B. About 19 km.

　　C. About 38 km. D. More than 38 km.

　　39.The last paragraph focuses on______.

　　A. what a Segway is like

　　B. where to find a Segway

　　C. how to control a Segway

　　D. when a Segway is useful

　　Passage Two

　　Nancy Bright and her husband john had been working overtime and saving for a long time so that they could pay the advance for Nancy’s dream house. Today was the day that they had enough money in hand to make a down payment on the house. But the real estate (房地產(chǎn))agent informed them that she had received another offer for the house. Although the other offer was slightly less than that of Nancy and john’s, that person with the new offer was willing to pay the whole amount at once. The owner, in urgent need of money, wanted to accept the second offer.

　　Nancy and john looked at each other with disappointed looks. They walked back home feeling very low about having lost the house. Soon they recovered and involved themselves into their daily lives, though once in a while Nancy would sink into a mild depression over losing the house.

　　One day Nancy woke up in the morning feeling even lower than usual. She kept feeling sick, even lost interest in her routine coffee. She put all these symptoms down to the stress of working hard and losing her dream house. A weed passed and she seemed to get worse. John was worried and insisted on taking her to the doctor. The doctor, after taking a few tests, informed them with a huge smile that Nancy was two months pregnant! John and Nancy were overjoyed but also worried about not having their own house before the baby was born.

　　One evening Nancy wandered into the street where her dream house was, and as she passed by it, she was surprised to see that there were notices stuck on all the houses. On closer examination she found that the notices were for all the residents to move out of the houses as they were building a highway and the whole row of houses needed to be pulled down. Nancy suddenly realized that not getting her dream house had been a blessing in disguise. She thanked God and decided to be happy with the blessings blessings she had and started looking forward to the birth of her child.

　　40.Why did Nancy and her husband lose their dream house?

　　A. They couldn’t pay the whole amount for the house at once

　　B. Someone else offered move money for the house.

　　C. They couldn’t afford the advance for the house.

　　D. The house owner decided not to sell the house.

　　41. How did they feel after they lost their dream house?

　　A. They felt sorry and hardly recovered.

　　B. They felt relieved but with little regret.

　　C. They enjoyed their daily lives all the same.

　　D. They were depressed but tried to adjust themselves.

　　42.What did Nancy find about the house one day?

　　A. It would be on sale again B. It would be pulled down

　　C. It had been redecorated. D. It had been emptied

　　43.What does the phrase “a blessing in disguise” in the last paragraph mean?

　　A. A good luck B.A dirty trick

　　C. A secret wish D.A false alarm.