17阅读理解（本题共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）

请认真阅读下列短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

A

An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Most of us have heard this old saying and followed it to keep healthy. But recently, a new study tells us whether there’s any truth in this old saying.

A team of researchers led by Matthew Davis of the University of Michigan School of Nursing in the US, asked 8,399 people to answer questions of diet and health. A total of 753 were apple eaters. The other 7,646 were non-apple eaters.

When both groups answered questions on trips to the doctor and trips to the chemist’s per year, the apple eaters were found to be 27 percent less likely to visit the chemist for drugs.

However, when considering other factors(因素) that can influence frequency(频率)of medical visits, such as weight, race, education and health insurance (健康保险), the difference disappeared. And the researchers found daily apple eaters were just as likely as non-apple eaters to go to doctors. In other words, an apple a day might keep the chemist away.

However, Davis said to USA Today, eating apples is still a healthy habit. Doctors generally agree that apples can be a good food choice. They are rich in vitamin C and also contain small amounts of vitamin A, calcium(钙) and iron.

But, “One apple isn’t going to be enough to make a difference unless it’s part of a healthy food pattern(模式)”, said Steven Zeisel, from the University of North Carolina’s Nutrition Research Institute(营养研究学院), to NBC News.

The old saying is thought to come from Wales in the 1800s. Apples, which have a long shelf-life（贮藏寿命）, were likely one of the few fruits that were available throughout the year, according to NBC News.

 

31. The old saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” may come from         .

A. doctors             B. scientists                  C. France                     D. Wales
32. According to the new study, if you eat an apple a day,          .

A. you are unlikely to get ill

B. it makes no big difference to your health

C. you are much healthier than non-apple eaters

D. you weigh less than non-apple eaters

 

33. NBC News thinks that the old saying may come from the fact that         .

A. apples are rich in vitamin C

B. apples contain a lot of calcium

C. apples play a big part in a healthy food pattern

D. apples can be found throughout the year

34. We can infer(推断)from the article that        .

A. people with a higher education are less likely to get ill

B. eating apples is not the healthiest habit

C. non-apple eaters are healthier than others

D. an apple a day is not enough to make people much healthier

 

B

On April 24, 1990, the world of science reached a new milestone (里程碑). The US Space Agency launched(发射)Hubble Space Telescope (哈伯太空望远镜) into space. It then began its exploration(探险) of the universe (宇宙). So how has it developed science? Let’s take a closer look at Hubble to celebrate its 25th birthday!

Hubble is the first large telescope to be sent to space. Its job is to orbit (绕轨道而行) Earth and take a lot of pictures of the universe. It is 13.2 meters in length and weighs 11,110 kilogram.

It works differently to your school telescope, which helps you see an object larger and clearer. Hubble works by collecting light. The bigger the mirror, the more light it can collect. Its main mirror is 2.4 meters. How good is its view? Scientists says that it’s like seeing a pair of fireflies (萤火虫) in Tokyo from a home on the east coast of the US.

Hubble’s discoveries have led to some major breakthroughs(突破). It proved(证实) that the universe was actually speeding up, not slowing down. It discovered black holes (黑洞). Also, with the help of Hubble, scientists have a more exact answer of the age of the universe: 13.7 billion.

So how long will Hubble work for us? People are not sure. But when Hubble’s days of exploration come to an end, its discoveries will still stay with us. Its successor (继任者), the Webb Space Telescope, is being put together as we speak. With a much more powerful telescope, we can only wait to be in awe of(敬畏) its future discoveries.

 

35. Which of the following about the Hubble Space Telescope is NOT true?

A. It began to explore the universe in 1990.

B. It’s the first large telescope to be sent to space.

C. It orbits Earth and takes pictures of the universe.

D. It has stopped working because it’s too old.

36. From Paragraph 3, we learn that         .

A. Hubble works similar to school telescopes

B. light is important for Hubble to work

C. it’s better to use a smaller mirror for Hubble

D. Hubble can see fireflies on Earth in space

37. After years of work, Hubble found out that        .

A. the Earth is round

B. the universe was slowing down

C. there are black holes in the universe

D. the universe will disappear in 13.7 billion years

38. The article mainly talks about        .

A. NASA                                                  B. school telescopes

C. the Hubble Space Telescope                    D. the Webb Space Telescope

 

C

On both sides of the River Thames in London, big crowds wait for the start of a rowing race. The sporting spotlight falls on two boats from the two top universities in Britain.

Eight male students from both Oxford and Cambridge battle(搏斗) it out for 6.8km on the river. The winners will bring back honor(荣耀) for themselves and their university. And although competitors must be amateurs (业余爱好者)and students, these top universities take the competition seriously. Their training timetable is strict: usually, they train for six days a week for six months before the race.

The rowing tradition has a long history. The first race was in 1829! Being two of the oldest universities in the world, Oxford and Cambridge share a strong competition both in academia(学术界) and sports.

There have been some interesting events over the centuries. In 1877, and the only time so far, both boats crossed the line at the exact same time. It’s been the only draw (平局) in its history. In the 1912 race, weather conditions were poor. Strong winds blew during the race, and surely enough, both boats sank! And in 2012, the race was stopped after a student entered the water and swam towards the boats. He was against public spending cuts (削减开支). And the recent race this year on April 11 made history. It was the first time that the women’s team raced at the same place and on the same day.

Though there’s little difference between them, Cambridge is in the lead with 81 wins.

 

39. What can we tell from the story?

A. Eighteen students from each university take part in the rowing race.

B. Teachers can also take part in the competition.

C. Students take part in the boat race just for fun.

D. Students train hard for the boat race.

40. What happened in the race of 1912?

A. It was the first boat race competition.

B. The result was a draw.

C. Strong winds made both boats sink.

D. The race was stopped by a student.

41. What is the main idea of the story?

A. The traditional boat race between Oxford and Cambridge.

B. The famous boat teams from Oxford and Cambridge universities.

C. Why the Oxford and Cambridge boat race is fun.

D. When to watch the Oxford and Cambridge boat race.

 

D

While we are still children, most of us live at home with our parents, more or less peacefully. But as we become teenagers, things change, and we begin to grow separated from our parents. This means we are almost ready to leave the house where we grow up and make a new home of our own.

 All humans must do this, but they don’t all do it in the same way. If , for example ,you belong to a primitive tribe (原始部落) ，then as you grew up ,you’d learn the skills you needed as an adult---how to catch fish ,how to keep the house and look after children . You would be ready to marry in your early teens and you would build a house and live near your family in the village.

This seems a very old way of life, but it is what humans have been used to through hundreds of years. And it is what we are still used to in the 21^st century ,for man hasn’t changed in the short time since he became civilized(文明的). But could you leave home and look after yourself during the teen years? Most people would not do very well. Why? Because although man hasn’t changed very much , the society he lives in has changed greatly ,which means that we have to learn more and more before we are ready to leave our parents’ shelter(居所) and live alone .

However, sometimes it will cause some trouble to live at parents’ home. Parents can be very worried about late nights, complaining friends and always saying that we are noisy and dirty. But we still need our emotional (情感的) shelter till we finish our studies, and that is why we usually stay in our parents’ home until we feel grown up enough to deal with living alone .

 

42.   When does the relationship with parents start changing?

    A. When we are children.                    B. When we become teenagers.

    C. When we are alone.                    D. When we get married.

43. For most teenagers of the 21st century, making a new home of their own may be        .

A. difficult         B. unimportant        C. impossible      D. quite easy

44. Why must we know more to be able to live alone?

    A. Because we are becoming less talented.

    B. Because our society has changed a lot.

    C. Because not enough is taught in our schools.

    D. Because man has never really been civilized.

45. From the passage, we know living at parents’ home when we become teenagers _______ .

A. is always pleasant                     B. must be very exciting

C. makes us feel lonely                   D. sometimes may be uncomfortable