【1】

It gives me great pleasure today to say a few words in praise of a man we will all miss very much. To be honest, I can't imagine we will do without him when he's gone.

Bill Masters almost single-handed built up our sales force in the Houston area and developed the market position that we enjoy today. In only six years, he has brought the firm from a very low fifth position in the area sales to the point where we now outsell all but one of our competitors. Not only have we got 37 per cent of the market under Bill's leadership; we are increasing our share with each passing month.

As you know, the company has moved Bill to northern California to work his sales magic in one of this company's most competitive(竞争的) areas. But we know that if anyone can do it, Bill Masters can, and I know you all join me in wishing him the best of luck in his new work.

【1】The speech was made _______.

A．at a welcome meeting

B．at the opening of a new school term

C．when somebody was leaving

D．when they had a new manager

【2】How long did Masters worked there?

A．37 years   B．less than 5 years

C．about six years D．since he began to work

【3】When Bill started to work in Houston area, he had _______to help him.

A．many people   B．nobody

C．about 37 people    D．very few people

【4】Bill increased the company's sale _______.

A．by 37 per cent every month

B．to the second largest in the area

C．to be the fifth largest in the area

D．five times as much as before

答案：

【1】C

【2】C

【3】D

【4】B

解析试题分析: 本文是一篇致辞，主要介绍了Bill Masters从白手起家，创建休斯顿地区的销售业务，到成就了如今大家有目共睹的市场地位的辉煌业绩，表达了作者对Bill的感激之情。也表达了对Bill的衷心祝愿，希望他在未来的工作岗位上取得更加辉煌的成绩。

【1】C推理判断题。从第一段….say a few words in praise of man we will all miss very much. To be honest, I can't imagine we will do without him when he's gone.可判断这段讲话是在Bill要离开的时候所讲，选C。

【2】C细节理解题。根据第二段In only six years…..可知答案为C。

【3】D细节理解题。根据第二段第一句….almost single–handed built up our sales force可知当时他是独自开创事业，没有人支持他，选D。

【4】B细节理解题。根据第二段中….we now outsell all but one of our competitors可知他们的销售额是第二，选B。

【2】

Thomas Alva Edison was awarded more patents on inventions than any other American. When he died in 1931, Americans wondered how they could best show their respect for him. One suggestion was that the nation observe a minute or two of total blackout. All electric power would be shut off in homes, streets, and factories. Perhaps this suggested plan made Americans realize fully what Edison and his inventions mean to them. Electric power was too important to the country. Shutting it off for even a short time would have led to complete confusion. A blackout was impossible.

On the day of Edison's funeral, many people silently dimmed their lights. In this way they honored the man who had done more than anyone else to put the great force of electricity at his countrymen's fingertips.

【1】This selection says that Thomas Edison ________.

A．was the only important American inventor

B．received the first American patent

C．received more patents than any other American

D．was the first American inventor

【2】People decided to honor Edison when ________.

A．he made the first electric light

B．electric power was 100 years

C．the country realized electricity's importance

D．he died in 1931

【3】The suggested plan was to ________.

A．turn off the lights in factories and schools

B．observe a few minutes of total silence

C．dim all electric lights

D．shut off all electricity for a short time

答案：

【1】C

【2】D

【3】D

解析试题分析: 本文是一篇记叙文，主要介绍了当发明家爱迪生去世的时候，美国人讨论如何去纪念他的事情。爱迪生一生发明众多，于是有人建议人们用停电一两分钟来表示对这位伟大的发明家的悼念。

【1】C细节理解题。根据文章第一段首句中Thomas Alva Edison was awarded more patents on inventions than any other American可知爱迪生的发明专利比任何一个美国人都多，故C正确。

【2】D细节理解题。根据文章首段When he died in 1931, Americans wondered how they could best show their respect for him.可知选。

【3】D细节理解题。根据文章第一段中One suggestion was that the nation observe a minute or two of total blackout. All electric power would be shut off in homes, streets, and factories可知有人.建议关一会儿灯，以纪念爱迪生，选D。

【3】

The most frightening words in the English language are, “Our computer is down.” You hear it more and more when you are on business. The other day I was at the airport waiting for a ticket to Washington and the girl in the ticket office said, “I’m sorry, I can’t sell you a ticket. Our computer is down.”

“If your computer is down, just write me out a ticket.”

“I can’t write you out a ticket. The computer is the only one allowed to do so.”

I looked down on the computer and every passenger was just standing there drinking coffee and staring at the black screen. Then I asked her, “What do all you people do?”

“We give the computer the information about your trip, and then it tells us whether you can fly with us or not.”

“So when it goes down, you go down with it.”

“That’s good, sir.”

“How long will the computer be down?” I wanted to know.

“I have no idea. Sometimes it’s down for 10 minutes, sometimes for two hours. There’s no way we can find out without asking the computer, and since it’s down it won’t answer us.”

After the girl told me they had no backup(备用) computer, I said. “Let’s forget the computer. What about your planes? They’re still flying, aren’t they?”

“I couldn’t tell without asking the computer.”

“Maybe I could just go to the gate and ask the pilot if he’s flying to Washington, ” I suggested.

“I wouldn’t know what gate to send you to. Even if the pilot was going to Washington, he couldn’t take you if you didn’t have a ticket.”

“Is there any other airline flying to Washington within the next few hours?”

“I wouldn’t know, ” she said, pointing at the dark screen. “Only ‘IT’ knows. ‘It’ can’t tell me.”

By this time there were quite a few people standing in lines. The word soon spread to other travelers that the computer was down. Some people went white, some people started to cry and still others kicked their luggage.

【1】The best title for the article is _______.

A．When the Computer Is Down

B．The Most Frightening Words

C．The Computer of the Airport

D．Asking the Computer

【2】What could the girl in the ticket office do for the passengers without asking the computer?

A．She could sell a ticket.

B．She could write out a ticket.

C．She could answer the passengers’ questions.

D．She could do nothing.

【3】Why do you think they had not a backup computer?

A．Because it was easy down

B．Because it was very expensive.

C．Because it was not advanced enough.

D．Because it was not as big as the main computer.

【4】The last paragraph suggests that _______.

A．a modern computer won’t be down.

B．computers can take the place of humans

C．sometimes a computer may bring suffering to people

D．there will be great changes in computers

答案：

【1】A

【2】D

【3】B

【4】C

解析试题分析: 本文是一篇记叙文，讲述了作者在机场的一段经历。通过这件事我们可以了解到如今电脑在人们生活中的重要作用。一旦电脑死机，不能启动的时候人们无从了解各种信息，只能束手无策，这会给人们带来很大的困扰和麻烦。

【1】A主旨大意题 。文章主要讲述了作者在机场遇到电脑死机，不能启动的经历，故答案选A。

【2】D推理判断题。 根据文章的对话部分可知，当电脑死机时，售票员毫无办法，只能等电脑恢复过后，才能售票。故选D。

【3】B .推理判断题。 根据他们的对话可知，没有备用电脑可能是由于备用电脑的造价较高，选B。

【4】C推理判断题。 在最后一段中作者描述了当周围人们知道电脑瘫痪后的各种表现，由此判断电脑死机会给人们带来了无限的烦恼和麻烦。 选C。