第二部分 阅读理解 （2010.9）Passage 1:Clowns（小丑）like to make people laugh. They paint their faces and put on funny noses. Sometimes they put on a sad face but most of the time they put on a happy face. They also wear funny clothes.Most clowns work in circuses. They do all kinds of silly things to make the audience laugh. They run, jump, fall down, turn somersaults (翻滚，斤头), and roll over. They ride donkeys backwards. They push each other in wagons or wheelbarrows. Sometimes they shout and sing. Clowns are funny men, and occasionally, women, too! A circus is not a circus without clowns!Children especially enjoy watching clowns. A clown named Cookie often visits hospitals to entertain sick children as well as older people. Sick people need to laugh. It helps them to get better faster.There is an old saying: Laughter is good medicine. 1. Clowns make people laugh by _ D. doing all kinds of silly things _. 2. Clowns are _ D. mostly male _. 3. The sentence A circus is not a circus without clowns means _ A. a circus will not be of much fun if it has no clowns4. Clowns are a great favorite with _ C. children _. 5. The best interpretation of the old saying Laughter is good medicine may be _ D. laughter helps sick people get better faster _. Passage 2:Many people now keep animals as pets. Numerous people have cats and dogs in their houses. Other people like fish, caged birds, tortoises and even snakes, monkeys or lions. Millions of dollars and much time are spent every year on pet food, equipment, taming and medical treatment.Of course, there are some people who do not look after their pets properly or are even cruel to them. For this reason a royal society was created in 184 in Britain to prevent cruel treatment of animals.In contrast to the love of pets is the fact that blood sports still exist in most countries. People go hunting foxes, elephants, pandas, ducks, rabbits, and other animals, or go fishing, not because they need the meat to eat, but just for pleasure. In some countries, blood sports like bull fighting and cock fighting are common and hunting rare animals for commercial purposes has brought about an even more serious problem in the protection of the ecosystem.It is strange that people love certain animals, but enjoy killing others, in cruel ways, too. 1. How do most people treat their pets? D. They spend a large amount of money and time taking care of them.2. Which of the following is NOT a blood sport? D. Horse racing. 3. What do you think is the speakers attitude toward blood sports? A. He thinks they are cruel. 4. Which of the following seems to affect the earths ecosystem most seriously? C. Illegal killing of rare animals. 5. What does the passage mainly imply? C. Animals should be well treated and protected.Passage 3:My secret for staying young is simple. Put all attention to the part of your brain and keep it young and growing. Keep your mind awake and youll stay young all over. These are exciting times. Take an interest in the world around you, and stick to learning at least one new thing every day. No matter how old you are, its not too late to make your life more interesting. I know a housewife with no knowledge before she made herself into a well-known engineer. I know a retired electrical engineer who has become a highly-paid dress designer. Get over the idea that you are too old to go back to school. I know a man who entered medical college at 70. He got his degree with honours and became a famous doctor. Another man went to law school at 71 and now was an active lawyer. Staying young is easy for those, old or young, who live in the future. You can do it if you care enough to try. Keep your mind awake and active: thats the only way. 1. According to the passage, that peoples brain of all ages remains young and growing is_ C. a secret _. 2. It is wrong for the old to_ A. think himself too old to go back to school _.3. The passage says that the man who entered college at 70 _ D. became famous in the medical circle _.4. The only way to keep young is_ D. to keep ones mind awake and alive _.5. The writer suggests that you should _ C. keep on _learning at least one new thing every day.Passage 4:Mrs. Jones telephone number was 3463, and the number of the cinema in her town was 3464, so people often made a mistake when they wanted the cinema.One evening the telephone bell rang and Mrs. Jones answered it. A tired man said, At what time does your last film begin?Im sorry, said Mrs. Jones, but you have the wrong number. This is not the cinema.Oh, it began twenty minutes ago, said the man. Im sorry about that. Goodbye.Mrs. Jones was very surprised, so she told her husband. Mr. Jones laughed and said, The mans wife