2013山东高考英语试卷

第三部分：阅读理解(共20小题;每小题2分，满分 40分)

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

A

Jimmy is an automotive mechanic, but he lost his job a few months ago. He has good heart, but always feared applying for a new job.

One day, he gathered up all his strength and decided to attend a job interview. His appointment was at 10 am and it was already 8:30. While waiting for a bus to the office where he was supposed ot be interviewed, he saw an elderly man wildly kicking the tyre of his car. Obviously there was something wrong with the car. Jimmy immediately went up to lend him a hand. When Jimmy finished working on the car, the old man asked him how much he should pay for the service. Jimmy said there was no need to pay him; he just helped someone in need, and he had to rush for an interview. Then the old man said, “Well, I could take you to the office for your interview. It’s the least I could do. Please. I insist.” Jimmy agreed.

Upon arrival, Jimmy found a long line of applications waiting to be interviewed. Jimmy still had some grease on him after the car repair, but he did not have much time to wash it off or have a change of shirt. One by one, the applicants left the interviewer’s office with disappointed look on their faces. Finally his name was called. The interviewer was sitting on a large chair facing the office window. Rocking the chair back and forth, he asked, “Do you really need to be interviewed?” Jimmy’s heart sank. “With the way I look now, how could I possibly pass this interview?” he thought to himself.

Then the interviewer turned the chair and to Jimmy’s surprise, it was the old man he helped earlier in the morning. It turned out he was the General Manager of the company.

“Sorry I had to keep you waiting, but I was pretty sure I made the right decision to have you as part of our workforce before you even stepped into the office. I just know you’d be a trustworthy worker. Congratulations!” Jimmy sat down and they shared a cup of well-deserved coffee as he landed himself a new job.

56. Why did Jimmy apply for a new job?

A. He was out of work B. He was bored with his job

C. He wanted a higher position D. He hoped to find a better boss

57. What did Jimmy see on the way to the interview?

A. A friend’s car had a flat tyre B. a wild man was pushing a car

C. a terrible accident happened D. an old man’s car broke down

58. Why did the old man offer Jimmy a ride?

A. He was also to be interviewed B. He needed a traveling companion

C. He always helped people in need D. He was thankful to Jimmy

59. How did Jimmy feel on hearing the interviewer’s question?

A. He was sorry for the other applicants

B. There was no hope for him to get the job

C. He regretted helping the old man

D. The interviewer was very rude

60. A. What can we learn from Jimmy’s experience?

A. Where there is a will, there’s a way

B. A friend in need is a friend indeed

C. Good is rewarded with good.

D. Two heads are better than one

B

George Gershwin, born in 1998, was one of America’s greatest composers. He published his first song when the was eighteen years old. During the next twenty years he wrote more than five hundred songs.

Many of Gershwin’s songs were first written for musical plays performed in theatres in New York City. These palys were a popular form of entertainment in the 1920s and 1930s. Many of his songs have remained popular as ever. Over the years they have been sung and played in every possible way — from jazz to country.

In the 1920s there was a debate in the United States about jazz music. Could jazz, some people asked, be considered serious music? In 1924 jazz musician and orchestra leader Paul Whiteman decided to organize a special concert to show that jazz was serious music. Gershwin agreed to compose something for the concert before he realized he had just a few weeks to do it. And in that short time, he composed a piece for piano and orchestra which he called Rhapsody in Blue. Gershwin himself played the piano at the concert. The audience were thrilled when they heard his music. It made him world-famous and showed that jazz music could be both serious and popular.

In 1928, Gershwin went to Paris. He applied to study composition (作曲)with the well-known musician Nadia Boulanger, but she rejected him. She was afraid that classical study would ruin his jazz-influenced style. While there, Gershwin wrote An American in Paris. When it was first performed, critics (评论家)were divided over the music. Some called it happy and full of life, to others it was silly and boring. But it quickly became popular in Europe and the United States. It sill remains one of his most famous works.

George Gershwin died in 1937, just days after doctors learned he had brain cancer. He was only thirty-nine years old. Newspapers all over the world reported his death on their front pages. People mourned the loss of the man and all the music he might have still written.

61. Many of Gershwin’s musical works were ________ .

A. written about New Yorkers B. Composed for Paul Whiteman

C. played mainly in the countryside D. performed in various ways

62. What do we know about the concert organized by Whiteman?

A. It attracted more people to theatres B. It proved jazz could be serious music

C. It made Gershwin leader of the orchestra D. It caused a debate among jazz musicians.

63. What did Gershwin do during his stay in Paris?

A. He created one of his best works B. He studied with Nadia Boulanger

C. He argued with French critics D. He changed his music style

64. What do we learn from the last paragraph?

A. Many of Gershwin’s works were lost

B. The death of Gershwin was widely reported

C. A concert was held in memory of Gershwin

D. Brain cancer research started after Gershwin’s death.

65. Which of the following best describes Gershwin?

A. Talented and productive B. Serious and boring

C. popular and unhappy D. Friendly and honest

C

You can’t always predict a heavy rain or remember your umbrella. But designer Mikhail Belvacv doesn’t think that forgetting to check the weather forecast before heading out should result in you getting wet. That’s why he created lampbrella, a lamp post with its own rain sensing umbrella.

The designer says he come up with the idea after watching people get wet on streets in Russia. “once, I was driving on a central Saint Petersburg street ad saw the street lamps lighting up people trying to hide from the rain. I thought it would be appropriate to have a canopy(伞蓬)built into a street lamp.” he said.

The lampbrella is a standard-looking street lamp fitted with an umbrella canopy. It has a built-in electric motor which can open or close the umbrella on demand. Sensors(传感器)then ensure that the umbrella offers pedestrians shelter whenever it starts raining.

In addition to the rain sensor, there’s also a 360°motion sensor on the biberglass street lamp which detects whether anyone’s using the lampbrella. After three minutes of not being used the canopy is closed.

According to the designer, the lampbrella would move at a relatively low speed, so as not to cause harm to the pedestrians. Besides, it would be grounded to protect from possible lighting strike. Each lampbrella would offer enough shelter for several people. Being installed at 2 meters off the ground, it would only be a danger for the tallest of pedestrians.

While there are no plans to take lampbrella into production, Belyacv says he recently introduced his creation one Moscow Department, and insists this creation could be installed on my street where a lot of people walk but there are no canopies to provide shelter.

66. For what purpose did Belyacv create the lampbrella?

A. To predict a heavy rain B. To check the weather forecast

C. To protect people from the rain D. To remind people to take an umbrella

67. What do we know from Belyacv’s worlds in Paragraph2?

A. His creation was inspired by an experience

B. it rains a lot in the city of Saint Petersburg

C. Street lamps are protected by canopies

D. He enjoyed taking walks in the rain

68. Which of the following show how the lampbrella works?

A. motor→canopy→sensors B. Sensors→motor→canopy

C. motor→sensors→canopy D. canopy→motor→sensors

69. What does paragraph 5 mainly tell us about the lampbrella?

A. Its moving speed B. Its appearance

C. Its installation D. Its safety

70. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A. The designer will open a company to promote his product

B. The lampbrella could be put into immediate production

C. The designer is confident that his creation is practical

D. The lampbrella would be put on show in Moscow

D

Sparrow is a fast-food chain with 200 restaurants. Some years ago, the group to which Sparrow belonged was taken over by another company. Although Sparrow showed no sign of declining, the chain was generally in an unhealthy state. With more and more fast-food concepts reaching the market, the Sparrow menu had to struggle for attention. And to make matters worse, its new owner had no plans to give it the funds it required.

Sparrow failed to grow for another two years. Until a new CEO, Carl Pearson, decided to build up its market share. He did a survey, which showed that consumers who already used Sparrow restaurants were extremely positive about the chain, while customers of other fast-food chains were unwilling to turn away from them. Sparrow had to develop a new promotional campaign.

Pearson faced a battle over the future of the Sparrow brand. The chain’s owner now favored rebranding Sparrow as Marcy’s restaurants. Pearson resisted, arguing for an advertising campaign designed to convince customers that visits to Sparrow restaurants were fun. Such an attempt to establish a positive relationship between a company and the general public was unusual for that time. Pearson strongly believed that numbers were the key to success, rather than customers’ speeding power. Finally, the owner accepted his idea.

The campaign itself changed the traditional advertising style of the fast-food industry. The TV ads of Sparrow focused on entertainment and featured original sons performed by a variety of stars. Instead of showing the superiority of a specific product, the intension was to put Sparrow in the hearts of potential customers.

Pearson also made other decisions which he believed would contribute to the new Sparrow image. For example, he offered to lower the rent of any restaurants which achieved a certain increase in their turnover. (营业额)

These efforts paid off, and Sparrow soon became one of the most successful fast-food chains in the regions where it operated.

71. Which was one of the problems Sparrow faced before Pearson became CEO?

A. The number of its customers was declining

B. Its customers found the food unhealthy

C. It was in need of financial support

D. Most of its restaurants were closed

72. What does the underlined word “them” in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A. Customers of Sparrow restaurants B. Sparrow restaurants

C. Customers of other fast-food chains D. other fast-food chains

73. For what purpose did Pearson start the advertising campaign?

A. To build a good relationship with the public

B. To stress the unusual tradition of Sparrow

C. To lean about customers; spending power.

D. To meet the challenge from Marcy’s restaurants.

74. The TV ads of Sparrow ________ .

A. changed people’s views on pop stars

B. amused the public with original songs

C. focused on the superiority of its products

D. influenced the eating habits of the audience

75. What was Pearson’s achievement as a CEO?

A. He managed to pay off Sparrow’s debts.

B. He made Sparrow much more competitive

C. He helped Sparrow take over a company

D. He improved the welfare of Sparrow employees