A quarter of US adults say they read no books at all in the past year, according to an Associated Press-Ipsos survey. The typical person said that he / she read four books in the last year and, excluding those who had not read any books at all, the usual number of books read was seven.
Of those who did read, women and pensioners (领养老金者) were the most eager readers, and religious works and popular fiction were the top choices. The number of books read was nine books for women and five for men. The number also showed that those with college degrees read the most, and people aged 50 and over read more than those who are younger.
People from the West and Midwest are more likely to have read at least one book in the past year. Southerners who do read tend to read more books — mostly religious books and romance novels — than people from other regions.
Those who said they never attend religious services read nearly twice as many books as those who attend frequently, but the Bible and religious works were read by two thirds of the people in the survey, more than all the other categories. Popular fiction, histories, biographies and mysteries took up about half, while one in five read romance novels. Politics, poetry and classical literature were named by fewer than 5% of readers. More women than men read every major category of books except for history and biography books. Men tend to prefer non-fiction.
Book sales in the US have been flat in recent years and are expected to stay that way, which, experts think, results from competition from the Internet and other media, and the unsteady economy.
小题1:The passage mainly tells us ______.| A．the number of Americans who read books last year dropped | | B．the book sales in the US have been dropping in recent years | | C．the reasons why one in four Americans read no books last year | | D．about region differences in the number and kind of books read last year |
小题2:Which kind of Americans read the most last year according to the survey?| A．Older men with college degrees from the South. | | B．Older women with college degrees from the South. | | C．Younger educated men from the Midwest. | | D．Younger educated women from the West. |
小题3:What kind of books was read most according to the passage?| A．Religious works. | B．Popular fiction. | | C．Poetry. | D．History. |
小题4:Which of the following reasons why people read fewer books is true?
①. Competition from the Internet.
②. Competition from other media.
③. The unsteady economy.
④. People attend religious services
⑤. No time for reading. |
小题1:A
小题2:B
小题3:A
小题4:A |
试题分析：一项调查显示，美国成年人读书量在下降，有四分之一的美国人根本不读书。造成读书量下降的原因主要是来自互联网的竞争，其它媒介的竞争和经济波动。
小题1:根据第一段“A quarter of US adults say they read no books at all in the past year ...he / she read four books in the last year ...the usual number of books read was seven”可知，调查结果显示，去年每人的读书量是4本，低于常规读书量6本。故选A。
小题2:根据第二段“Of those who did read, women and pensioners (领养老金者) were the most eager readers
The number also showed that those with college degrees read the most”和第三段“Southerners who do read tend to read more books”可知，南部地区拥有大学学历的女性读的书最多，故选B。
小题3:根据第四段“but the Bible and religious works were read by two thirds of the people in the survey, more than all the other categories”可知，读的最多的书籍是宗教书籍，故选A。
小题4:根据最后一段“which, experts think, results from competition from the Internet and other media, and the unsteady economy.”可知，读书量的下降是由互联网的竞争，其它媒介的竞争和不稳定的经济造成的，故选A。 |
核心考点
试题【A quarter of US adults say they read no books at all in the past year, according】；主要考察你对
题材分类等知识点的理解。
[详细]举一反三
阅读下面短文，从每题所给的四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
I grew up with a fat dad------450 pounds at his heaviest. Every week he’d try a new diet, and my family____ eating whatever freeze-dried he was trying at that moment. He hoped every new diet could stop his waistline from______ .My mother, on the other hand, had no____ in preparing food. Therefore, almost all of our meals____ my dad’s diet foods.
What I remember most about those years is that I was always hungry ------ hungry for food, hungry for nice clean clothes, hungry for someone to ____ when I ran away from home or hid in the closet(壁橱) for hours. I just ____ to be cared for.
But on Friday nights, I was____ hungry. My grandmother would take me to her home for the weekend. When we____, there was always a pot of something cooking on the stove. She taught me how good it felt to be cared for, and how to care for myself and others through____. My grandmother was always____ of my parents’ strange eating habits and ____ on processed diet foods, and made it her duty to teach me how to ____ myself.
After my third-grade year, my dad changed his jobs. ____ as I was, I had to move away from my hometown, Chicago, and leave my grandmother and her delicious food behind. I felt extremely lonely and lost, and I____ my grandmother terribly. My grandmother knew just how I felt------ and she knew the ____: Every week, she would send me a card with a $20 bill, a recipe and a list of what to buy at the market. Her____ filled my body and soul.
Now I’ve grown to better understand my father’s struggles with____. Today, he weighs 220 pounds. Food is no longer a barrier that keeps us____, but a bridge that keeps us connected. There’s nothing my dad enjoys more than talking with me about dietary theories and his weight-loss____. And now I am the one____ sending recipe cards to my father’s house, just as my grandmother did for me.
| 小题1: | | A．put off | B．set out | C．gave up | D．ended up |
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| 小题2: | | A．changing | B．expanding | C．decreasing | D．disappearing |
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| 小题3: | | A．fault | B．difficulty | C．interest | D．pride |
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| 小题4: | | A．consisted of | B．differed from | C．belonged to | D．made up |
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| 小题5: | | A．follow | B．accompany | C．stop | D．notice |
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| 小题6: | | A．forgot | B．desired | C．proved | D．pretended |
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| 小题7: | | A．undoubtedly | B．especially | C．even | D．never |
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| 小题8: | | A．arrived | B．approached | C．agreed | D．returned |
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| 小题9: | | A．creativity | B．guidance | C．cooking | D．observing |
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| 小题10: | | A．envious | B．skeptical | C．proud | D．fond |
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| 小题11: | | A．judgment | B．influence | C．dependence | D．impression |
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| 小题12: | | A．feed | B．relax | C．convince | D．enjoy |
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| 小题13: | | A．Embarrassed | B．Unfortunate | C．Ashamed | D．Unwilling |
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| 小题14: | | A．appreciated | B．missed | C．imagined | D．responded |
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| 小题15: | | A．cure | B．reason | C．feeling | D．rule |
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| 小题16: | | A．expectations | B．recipes | C．promises | D．words |
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| 小题17: | | A．health | B．money | C．weight | D．promotion |
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| 小题19: | | A．problems | B．anxieties | C．benefits | D．victories |
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| 小题20: | | A．completely | B．casually | C．regularly | D．gradually |
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They say that the real marathon begins at 35 kilometers — the rest is just a warm up. And sure enough, in 2009, at around the 36 kilometer point of the Beijing Marathon I experienced what runners call “hitting the wall”. I had been doing well until that point, but suddenly I felt a sharp pain in my leg. My pace slowed down dramatically and every brain cell in my head seemed to be screaming “stop!!!”
The last 5 kilometers were not fun; in fact, they were really hard work. Keeping motivated to run those last few kilometers was one of the hardest things I had ever done. But that is what makes running a marathon such a rewarding experience — if it were easy everyone would do it.
I have to admit it is sometimes not even easy to find the motivation to get out of bed, pull on your running shoes and head out into the morning to go for another run. These last two weeks of training for the Muztagata climb have been a little tough. I have been following my training plan for about three months but now I find that my original enthusiasm (热情) has all been used up. Day after day of going to the gym is beginning to wear me down and there still seems so much longer to keep this up. I have begun to doubt that I am actually making any progress or getting any fitter and even thought that I might be going backwards!
These are all very common experiences for people who are working towards challenging, longer term goals and I have learned to recognize these “highs” and “lows” in my energy and enthusiasm. Over the years I have learned a number of tricks that help me to deal with the days when my early motivation seems to have abandoned me for good.
小题1:Many runners say that the real marathon begins at 35 kilometers because it is at this point that __________.| A．runners begin to enjoy running the marathon race | | B．runners are worn out as if they are breaking down | | C．the rest part is just the preparation for the race | | D．the race is a rewarding experience for runners |
小题2:When people are working extremely hard towards challenging, _________.| A．they can keep themselves motivated all the time | | B．they will never hesitate to continue carrying out their plan | | C．they sometimes feel as if they stop making progress | | D．they will fail to keep their spirits up |
小题3:What is the author going to talk about in the following passage?| A．How to get trained. | | B．Tips for becoming a marathon runner. | | C．How to meet challenges. | | D．Tips for keeping motivation high. |
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In December,2010,many American newspapers publish a list of the best books of the year. Freedom by Jonathan Franzen is one of the most repeatedly praised books on this year’s list of favorites. It tells about the ups and downs of the Berglund family over many years. Mr.Franzen fills the book with sharp observations about American politics, culture and society.
Jennifer Egan’s book A Visit from the Goon Squad takes place in 13 chapters over 40 years. The story moves back and forth in time,from different viewpoints. One main character is former rock musician Bennie Salazar who works for a record company. The other main character is a troubled young woman named Sasha who works for Bennie. The reader learns about their pasts and those of their friends.
The main character in The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman is a failing English Language newspaper published in Rome,Italy. Each chapter of the book tells about a reporter or editor working for this paper. Their stories are filled with intelligence and great personality.
Two of the most popular nonfiction books of 2010 were about rock and roll stars. Just Kids is by rock singer Patti Smith. It tells about her friendship with the artist Robert Mapplethorpe in the 1960s and 1970s before they became famous. Life is the autobiography of Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards. It is an honest and exciting look at the development of rock and roll and the wild times this famous band has experienced.
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand tells about a man named Louis Zamperini. She tells about his extraordinary survival story after his plane crashed into the Pacific Ocean during Would War Two.
Stacy Schiff has received great praise for her book Cleopatra: A Life. It tells about one of the most misrepresented and famous women in his story, Cleopatra. She ruled ancient Egypt about 2,000 years ago. One critic said Ms. Schiff has brought Cleopatra to life again by unearthing her story from centuries of lies.
小题1:The following books are related to music EXCEPT________.| A．The Imperfectionists | B．A Visit from the Goon Squad | | C．Just Kids | D．Life |
小题2:If your major is the history of ancient Africa, you may pay attention to ________.| A．Freedom by Jonathan Franzen | | B．Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand | | C．The Imperfections by Tom Rachman | | D．Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff |
小题3:Which book will give you a practical understanding of the USA?| A．Life | B．Cleopatra: A Life | | C．Freedom | D．A Visit from the Goon Squad |
小题4:The last sentence of the passage implies that ________.| A．Stacy Schiff is an archaeologist | | B．the critic finds the character in the book very real | | C．the critic speaks highly of Cleopatra in history | | D．Stacy Schiff tells a story about an imaginary Egyptian queen |
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In most languages, a greeting is usually followed by “small talk”. Small talk means the little things we talk about at start of a conversation. In English-speaking countries people often make small talk about the weather: “Nice day, isn’t it?” But there is something special about small talk. It must be about something which both people have the same opinion about. The purpose of small talk is to let both people agree on something. This makes meeting people easier and more comfortable. People usually agree about the weather, so it is a safer topic for small talk. But people often disagree about religion or politics so these are not suitable topics for small talk in English. The topics for small talk also depend on where the conversation is taking place. At football matches, people make small talk about the game they are watching: “Great game, isn’t it?” At bus stops, people may comment about the transport system: “The bus service is terrible, isn’t it?”
Greetings and small talk are important parts of conversation in any language. The way people greet each other and the things they talk about, however, may be different from one language to another. This shows that there is much more to learn when we learn a language than just the vocabulary and the grammar of the language. We also have to learn the social behavior of the people who speak it.
小题1:Small talk __________ .| A．is a kind of conversation with short words | | B．is a greeting when people meet each other | | C．is to let people disagree about something | | D．is something we talk about to start with a conversation |
小题2:Why do people need small talk?| A．To choose a topic for conversation. | | B．To agree about the weather. | | C．To let meeting people become easier and more comfortable. | | D．To learn a language. |
小题3:The passage suggests that when we learn a language ,__________．| A．we should grasp the importance of the language | | B．we should know the culture of the language | | C．we should only master the grammar and vocabulary | | D．we should learn about the transport system of the country |
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阅读下列短文，从每小题所给的四个选项(A. B. C和D) 中，选出最佳选项。
Is veg food healthier than non-veg food? I feel this is a very common topic that people speak on．Please give me your opinions on this topic．
| Rao
12-18-08
| So far as veg food is concerned, it is also proved to be a healthy and nutritious diet, but has very few items which can provide us with proteins, but if you see non-veg food like eggs, chicken, and many more, such foods have a large content of proteins in them.
| Sai
12-19-08
| Man basically is herbivorous（食草的）. If we look at the animal kingdom
We can see that all the herbivorous animals have the similar dental（牙齿的）
structure, which clearly shows that the human being also ought to be vegetarian
by birth. It is only the living conditions that make man carnivorous（食肉的）.
The vegetarian foods are easily digestible.
| Santos
12-20-08
| Non-veg food items are better than veg items. A healthy person requires complete diet and veg+ meat makes the diet complete. The only caution that needs to be taken is not to have non-veg items on a daily basis. Once in a week or couple of weeks will be best.
| Krishna
01-03-09
| When we eat non-veg, we are all veg by nature. The chicken that we eat feeds on grains, the mutton that we eat feeds on grass, and the fish that we eat feeds on simple plants. So non-veg food by logic（逻辑）is better and suited for hauman beings.
| Khan
01-05-09
| Non-veg food is equally important in our diet as it helps in many ways, especially fish and other seafood as fish contains omega 3 which makes our immune system（免疫系统）stronger. Do you know that most of the veg food put together does not contain as much omega 3 as fish alone contains!
| Khan
01-05-09
| Non-veg food is equally important in our diet as it helps in many ways, especially fish and other seafood as fish contains omega 3 which makes our immune system（免疫系统）stronger. Do you know that most of the veg food put together does not contain as much omega 3 as fish alone contains!
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小题1:According to Rao, what is the problem with veg food?| A．It damages our immune system. | B．It has few nutrients. | | C．It contains too much omega | D．It is lacking in protein. |
小题2:In the opinion of Sai, humans are born vegetarian because humans______.| A．have the same teeth structure as plant-eating animals | | B．believe that veg foods are good for their teeth | | C．belong to the plant-eating animal family | | D．can adapt to the living conditions like plant-eating animals |
小题3:What advice is given by Santos?| A．To have a saily veg+ meat diet. | | B． Not to eat non-veg food every day. | | C．To eat digestible food every day. | | D．Not to eat food without protein. |
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