子。结果，在the Minnesota Twins棒球队效力的男人的妻子生下了一对双胞胎。在the 3M Company上班的男人的妻子生下了三胞胎。而在四季旅馆工作的男人的妻子生下了四胞胎。听到护士的介绍之后，那个在7-Eleven公司做事的男人晕了过去。原来，联想到前三人的工作单位和他们的妻子所生孩子的数目，第四个人生怕自己的妻子生下七个孩子。等他苏醒过来之后，不住地唠叨，“我真不该在7-Eleven上班。”读罢全文，让人捧腹大笑。
1.C。短文首句的意思是“在一所医院的候诊室里，四个即将做爸爸的男人等待着各自的妻子分娩(孩子的降生)。”所以答案是C。
2.B。“Surprised, he only could answer…”一句是解题的依据。因为这个人在四季旅馆工作，D项明显是错误的；此人的话语中也没有体现C项的意思；综合考虑上面两个人的经历，及“I don?t believe it! I work for the Four Seasons Hotel!”可知A项也不能入选。 3.A。如果是很高兴拥有七个孩子的话，第四个人就不至于说出“I should never have taken that job at 7-Eleven.”这句话。这个人是在听到第三则消息的时候才晕倒的，并不是病得厉害。由“As he slowly came to himself…”(苏醒过来)也可以将B项排除。根据这个人再三重复的那句话，不难推测出他是害怕拥有那些么多的孩子。
4.B。根据前面三个人的经历，第四个人便依次类推，认为自己的妻子会生下七个孩子。如果事情真的巧合的话，也许会是这样。但依据生活常识，这个人的妻子至少会生下一个妻子，算上已经降生的九个孩子，总共是十个。所以答案非D莫属。本题是一道考查学生推断能力的好题目，但选项设计不够合理，通读全文就会很容易排除前三个选项。所以如果将四个选项设计成：A. 9. B. 10. C. 11. D. 16. 这样会增加题目的迷惑性，更能考查学生的逻辑推理能力。
Passage 4 It is sometimes said that the English are polite people. This can make life difficult for foreigners. Suppose a foreign boy asks an English girl to go out with him and she says, “If I finish my work, I?ll meet you in the cafe at 7 o?clock.” Is she saying “ yes ” or “ no ” to his invitation?
In grammatical terms, she is using the conditional structure. By using the conditional, speakers of English can avoid giving a “yes ” or “no ” answer to a question. It enables people to be diplomatic. If the girl doesn?t want to go out with the boy, she won?t turn up at the cafe. She will let him understand she is still working. If she wants to go out with him, but doesn?t want to appear too easy to catch, she has achieved that with her reply. But in this case, as she uses the first conditional that shows probability; she is quite likely to turn up at the cafe. Being polite can make life very difficult!
The conditional is often used by people in the news—politicians, for example—who wish to avoid speaking out their ideas. This is very important if they are on their way to discuss an agreement. No one wants to give away his or her points before he or she starts. A government spokesman might say to a group of workers, “If we could pay you more, we would.” The use of the conditional here makes room for argument although the speaker is using the second conditional form, which shows improbability. So it is unlikely the workers will get their rise.
“If ” is a small word, which appears often in the English language. It can show politeness, reported speech and conditionals such as the First -- probability -- if I can come to your party, I will; the Second -- improbability -- if I saw you tomorrow, I?d give you the book; and the Third -- impossibility (meaning it is too late to change something that has happened) -- if you have told me, I would have helped you.
注：conditional structure 表示条件的句式 avoid 避免 diplomatic 婉转的 achieve 达到 politician 政客
1. The using of the conditional can make a speech _________. A. clearer B. Quicker C. more polite D. more exciting 2. Which of the following is true according to the passage? A. Language used in the news should make room to argue. B. Usually English girls are not easy to catch.
C. English people never speak out their ideas in public. D. The word “if” can show different meanings.
3. In the passage, “If we could pay you more, we would.” probably means __________.
A. the workers will make more money B. the spokesman doesn?t give any promise
C. the spokesman keeps his word D. the workers? problems aren?t difficult 4. This passage is mainly talking about _________.
A. the conditional in communication B. how to invite a girl in Britain C. British people and their life D. some language points in daily English (选自2003年北京海淀区试题)
【解题思路点拨】这篇夹叙夹议的小品文难度颇大。短文就条件句在人际交往中的运用这一内容展开。在日常生活中，英国人是很讲礼貌的，他们通常使用表示条件的句式，以便使说出的话更委婉些。条件句的使用固然能使双方都不失体面，但它实际上非但不能使谈话的内容更加清楚，而且使得生活变得困难起来。条件句通常为政客所用，这样可以给他们的谈话留有商量的余地。文章最后讲到“if”这个词的众多含义，它不仅表示委婉和可能性，还能表示不大可能，甚至表示不可能。
1.C。短文首句就说英国人很有礼貌。在接下来的第二自然段中，作者举例说明了英国人使用条件句的目的，那就是为了使自己的谈话委婉些。考虑到“…as she uses the first conditional that shows probability.”和“Being polite can make life very difficult!”这两句话的含义，可知条件句的使用并不能使谈话的内容更加清楚。恰恰相反，它使得生活变得困难起来。由此，迷惑性较大的A项可予以排除。
2. D。由短文第三自然段所举的例子，可以推断出作者对政客们的这种做法是持否定态度的，所以选项A是错误的。选项B仅仅从短文中举的一个例子就得出结论，未免太片面了些。而C项所讲的意思以偏概全，也是不合文意的。短文第四自然段详细说明了if一词的不同含义，它不仅仅可以表示礼貌，用在间接引语中，而且也可以表示可能性、不大可能，或者不可能。故D项是正确的。
3. B。由“The use of the conditional here makes room for argument although the speaker is using the second conditional form, which shows improbability.”这句话，可以看出条件句的使用给政客们所说的话留有商量的余地。换句话说，政客们表面上好像答应了工人们的请求，实际上并没有给出什么承诺。因此，只有B才是正确的答案。
4. A。短文从一个英国女孩被邀请时的答语，说到政客们的所谓许诺。我们从中不难看出短
文的主旨，那就是条件句在日常交际中的运用。不言而喻，答案非A莫属。 Passage 5
Do you know why different animals or pests (昆虫) have their special colors? Colors in them seem to be used mainly to protect themselves.
Some birds like eating locusts (蝗虫), but birds cannot easily catch them. Why? It is because locusts change their colors together with the change of the colors of crops. When crops are green, locusts look green. But as the harvest time comes, locusts change to the same brown color as crops have. Some other pests with different colors from plants are easily found and eaten by others. So they have to hide themselves for lives and appear only at night.
If you study the animal life, you?ll find the main use of coloring is to protect
themselves. Bears, lions and other animals move quietly through forests. They cannot be easily seen by hunters (猎人). This is because they have the colors much like the trees.
Have you ever noticed an even stranger act? A kind of fish in the sea can send out a kind of very black liquid (液体)when it faces danger. While the liquid spreads over (散开), its enemies (敌人)cannot find it. And it immediately swims away. So it has lived up to now though it is not strong at all.
1.From the passage we learn that locusts________. A. are small animals B. are easily found by birds
C. are dangerous to their enemies D. change their colors to protect themselves 2.How can pests with different colors from plants keep out of danger?
A. They run away quickly. B. They have the colors much like their enemies.
C. They hide themselves by day and appear at night. D. They have to move quietly. 3.Bears and lions can keep safe because _________.
A. they have the colors much like the trees B. they move quietly C. they like brown and gray colors D. they live in forests 4.Why can the kind of fish live up to now? A. Because it is very and strong.
B. Because the liquid it sends out can help it escape from its enemies.
C. Because the liquid it sends out can kill its enemies.D. Because it swims faster than any other fish.
5.Which is the best title for this passage?
A. The Change of Colors for Animals and Pests B. Colors of Different Animals and Pests
C. The Main Use of Colors for Animals and Pests D. Some Animals and Pests (选自2003年河北省试题)
【解题思路点拨】这是一篇科技小品文。其主要内容是：许多昆虫的颜色十分奇特，其主要用途是用来保护自己。蝗虫身体的颜色随庄稼颜色的改变而做相应变化，这样就不易被捕食它们的鸟儿发现。有的动物与周围的植物颜色差别很明显，容易被捕食者察觉，只好夜间出来活动。更奇特的是，有一种鱼，在遇到危险时，会喷射出黑色液体，以掩护自己逃走。
1.D。短文第二自然段一开始讲述的是蝗虫随庄稼颜色的改变而改变自身的颜色。联系“…but birds cannot easily catch them.”这句话即可得出答案。
2. C。本题所设的问题是：与周围植物颜色差别明显的昆虫如何逃避危险？第二自然段最后的“So they have to hide themselves for lives and appear only at night.”这句话是答案的出处。
3. A。这也是一道考查表层理解能力的题目。由第三自然段最后的“This is because they have the colors much like the trees.”这句话可以找到答案。
4.B.根据“While the liquid spreads over, its enemies cannot find it. And it
immediately swims away.”这两句话可知，这种鱼喷射出黑色液体的目的是让对方看不清自己，然后乘势逃走。另外，由“…its enemies cannot find it.”可知，这种液体并不是用来杀伤对手的。所以答案是B。
5.C.根据短文的叙述和列举的例子，显然可以看出它主要讲的是不同昆虫和动物身上的颜色的用途。换句话说，该短文是关于动物是如何用颜色来保护自己的。而A项中说的动物身上颜色的改变，B项中讲的不同动物身上的颜色，这两项虽然也是短文表达的意思，但并不能概括作者向我们表达的主要意思。故不可入选。 Passage 6
It?s important to learn about protecting our environment. Here is a 5R rule for us: 1. Reduce
If you want to reduce waste, you should use things wisely (明智地). A large number of trees are being cut down to make paper. If everyone uses a little paper carelessly and throw it out, soon we would not have any trees left. Other things are also being wasted, and people don?t know what to do with the waste in big cities. So it is necessary to reduce the waste. 2.Reuse
You should always think of reusing the usable things before throwing them out. Give your clothes you do not use or the ones which too small to the poor. In a family, you may pass on such clothes to younger brothers or sisters. 3.Recycle
Bottles, cans (罐子) and paper can easily be recycled. By doing so we save lots of time and money. For example, coke cans are sent to a factory, where they are smashed flat (压平) and melted (融化) and the metal things are made for new coke cans.
4.Recover
When you buy a box of apples, there may be few rotten (腐烂的) apples, you have two choices: one is to throw the whole apples away, or you could cut off the rotten parts and use the good parts. In this way, you are recovering the eatable parts of food. 5.Repair
If one of the begs of your table is broken, you can repair it. If you want to change for better ones, it is better for you to sell the old things or give them to other people who can use them after doing some repair. It is true that North America is a “throw-away” society, but the time has come to change our way of life so that we can protect our environment. Every one of us should try our best.
1.The “Reduce” rule mainly requires (要求) us _______. A. to use things wisely B. to cut down many trees
C. to use a lot of paper D. to throw away your old clothes 2.What?s the right order (顺序) of recycling coke cans? a. collect the used cans b. melt them
c. smash them flat d. send them to a factory A. a b c d B. a d c b C. d b c a D. c a b d
3.The “Recover” rule mainly requires us _______.
A. to throw waste things away B. to cover waste things with earth C. to get back the useful parts D. to throw the whole things away 5.Which is the best way to do with your broken tables? A. Throwing them away. B. Requiring them. C. Selling them. D. Putting them away. (选自2003年湖北省黄冈市试题)
【解题思路点拨】对生存在地球上的人类来说，保护环境是非常重要的。这篇短文贴近生活，富有时代气息。全文详细介绍了“5R”方法的具体内容和做法。对增强青少年学生的环保意识具有十分重要的意义。 1.A.显然，这道题是关于“Reduce”的。根据这段话的首句“If you want to reduce waste, you should use things wisely (明智地).”可知答案是A。
2.B.题目的要求是，根据回收易拉罐的程序，选出正确的顺序。那么回收易拉罐的具体步骤是什么呢？根据“Recycle”这部分的内容，我们可以知道：首先要将易拉罐送到工厂去，然后在那儿将其压平、融化，最后再制成新的易拉罐。联系生活常识，可知在将易拉罐送往工厂之前，是由人专门将其收集到一起的。因此，正确的顺序应该是：收集旧的易拉罐---送到工厂---压平---融化。显然答案非B莫属。
3.C.“Recover”这部分的主要意思是说：如果食物存在部分变质的情况，要及早采取措施，扔掉已经坏掉的部分，保留可以吃的部分。根据这层意思，可知C为正确答案。 4.B.本题难度不大，可以从短文中直接找出答案。答案就在“If one of the begs of your table is broken, you can repair it.”一句中。 Passage 7
To: President Bush, the White House