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限时阅读训练 (2)

词数: about 300     难度: ★   建议用时: 4 minutes
    On a small farm in South Africa, seven-year-old Faith lives with her mother Bella, her dog, and the fairies (小精灵) of her mother’s imagination.
Bella talks about the fairies so often that they are real in Faith’s mind. She walks by her mother’s fairy paintings cautiously, fearful that the fairies might emerge from their frames and attack her.
Faith always shouts Gem Squash Tokoloshe as she tries to protect herself from the most evil fairy spirit: the Tokoloshe.
    Bella says gem squash is a magic vegetable that can get away the Tokoloshe. She encourages Faith to eat plenty of it, although Faith hates the taste.
    A long drought forces Faith’s father to become a traveling salesman, and he only comes home on weekends. But one day he doesn’t come back at all.
    Bella becomes severely depressed and is unable to properly care for Faith. So a young black woman named Nomsa looks after her. As Bella’s mental health
declines, she withdraws further into her fairy world.
    As Bella’s personality changes, Faith grows increasingly attached to Nomsa until Bella is taken to a mental institution.
    Fifteen years later, Faith is grown-up but she feels like she doesn’t know herself. When she hears news of the death of her mother, Faith returns to the farm she left when she was seven. She hopes to discover who she really is.
    All the pieces fall into the place as Faith reflects on her childhood experiences. Only then can she truly feel at peace with herself.
    Gem Squash Tokoloshe is an interesting book written by Zadok who got the Whitbread First Novel Award. This is the most important book award in the UK. Zadok reveals (展现) the story bit by bit in a tantalizing way that leaves readers wondering what will happen next.

1. The underlined word “tantalizing” in the last paragraph probably means “______”.
   A. terrible     B. pleasant    C. tiring    D. desirable
2. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the
passage?
   A. Whether the book Gem Squash Tokoloshe was well-received in the UK.
   B. What happened to Faith’s father.
   C. What Tokoloshe is.
   D. Where Faith lived when she was young.
3. Which of the following is the correct order of the events according to the passage?
   a. Faith returned to the small farm.
   b. Father became a traveling salesman.
   c. Bella became mentally ill.
   d. Bella tells stories about fairies to Faith.
   e. Nomsa began to look after Faith.
   A. a, c, d, b, e       B. c, a, d, b, e   
   C. e, d, b, c, a       D. d, b, c, e, a

词数: about 330    难度: ★★  建议用时: 4 minutes
    Potatoes are a traditional part of American meals, but people are not eating as many potatoes as they did in the past. The United States Department of Agriculture reports that it expects potato use to decrease during the next fourteen years.
    Growers say one main reason is that more people are worrying about getting too fat. Several popular weight-reducing plans restrict carbohydrates. Potatoes are high in carbohydrates. American potato farmers also face competition from foreign growers. To deal with these problems, a non-profit organization is working to get farmers to limit potato production. The United Potato Growers of America was formed more than a year ago. Its members plant most of America’s potatoes.
    Over the years, many American potato growers have done their best to grow large crops. Because the more potatoes they produced, the more they had to sell. But too many potatoes for sale mean too little profit. So now the potato growers organization wants to reduce the amount of potatoes reaching the market. The goal is to keep demand strong and continuous. Members promise to plant fewer potatoes. They also promise they will not send potatoes to market when the supply becomes too large.
    The idea began about two years ago when potato growers from the state of Idaho formed a group called the United Potato Growers of Idaho. The group expanded its membership to become a national organization. Idaho potato grower Albert Wada is board chairman of the
    United Potato Growers of America. Mr. Wada recently compared potato prices before and after formation of the organization. Between September, 2004 and June, 2005, overproduction of potatoes brought prices down. But in the same period a year later, growers received an average price increase of four dollars for every 45 kilograms of potatoes.
    But not all potato farmers want to join the organization and restrict the amout of potatoes they can grow. And planting time next spring will bring a test. The organization will learn if members really will limit the amount of potatoes they plant.

1. Why are Americans eating fewer potatoes than before?
   A. Because they have more food to choose from.
   B. Because the potatoes aren’t as good as before.
   C. Because they are worried about their weight.
   D. Because the price of potatoes has increased a lot.
2. The United Potato Growers of America ______.
   A. helps farmers sell their potatoes to foreign countries
   B. calls on farmers to grow fewer potatoes
   C. advises farmers to grow high-quality potatoes
   D. provides farmers with new technology for growing potatoes
3. What would be the best title for the passage?
   A. A change in Americans’ eating habits
   B. The difference between American and foreign potatoes
   C. Farmers organize to control potato supply
   D. Farmers enlarge the potato market

Key: A 1-3 DBD  B 1-3 CBC

                                                                                                                                   山东  李  萍  杨玉伟