2008年9月北京明光中学高三英语试题（二）

第四部分：阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）

A
Dog Translation Products Coming to U. S.
A Japanese toy maker declares that they have developed a gadget that translates dog barks into human language and plans to begin selling the gadget——under the name of Bowlingual——in U. S. pet stores and gift shops this summer.
Tokyo-based Takara Co. Ltd. says about 300, 000 of the dog translator gadgets have been sold since it was on sale in Japan late last year. It is forecasting far bigger sales once an English language translation for dogs comes to America in August. The United States is home to about 67 million dogs, more than six times the number in Japan.
"We know that the Americans love their dogs so much, so we don't think they will mind spending $ 120 on this product, " the Takara marketing manager said during an interview at a recent pet products conference in Atlanta.
Regarded as one of the coolest inventions of 2002 by Time magazine, Bowlingual is made up of a 3 - inch long wireless microphone that is fastened to a dog collar and sends out sounds to a small console (控制台) that is connected to a database (数据库). The console divides each bark into six emotional types——happiness, sadness, disappointment, anger, threat and desire——and shows common phrases, such as "You're ticking me off," that fit the dog's emotional state.
Takara says it has spent millions of dollars developing the gadget in cooperation with famous sound experts and animal behaviorists.
One thing that does appear certain is that the markets for animal translation products will likely remain a dog's world since Takara has no plans to develop a similar gadget for cats. "They are too unpredictable (反复无常) , " the marketing manager said.

56. This passage mainly tells us that Bowlingual ___________.
A. was invented in Japan 　　　　　　　 B. has developed quickly
C. will be sold in America 　　　　　　  D. sells well for its price
57. The underlined word "they" in the last paragraph refers to ___________.
A. markets 　　　　 B. products 　　 C. plans 　　 　　　 D. cats
58. When was this passage most probably published?
A. In the winter of 2002. 　　　　　　　 B. In the spring of 2003.
C. In the summer of 2002. 　　　　　　 D. In the autumn of 2003.
59. From the passage, we can see that Takara Co. Ltd. is ___________ the sale of its new product.
A. proud of 　　　 B. satisfied with  C. confident of 　　 D. worried about

B
If you and your friends wish to share a secret, you can write it in code, and no one else will be able to read it. Codes are one way of writing in secret. Ciphers (暗码) are another. In a code each word is written as a secret code word or code number. In a cipher each letter is changed.
Codes and ciphers have played an important role in the history of the world. Julius Caesar, the Roman ruler who defeated almost all the countries in Europe about 2, 000 years ago, used a cipher when he sent secret messages to his troops. During the American Revolution, George Washington's spies used a kind of code to send him information about the enemy before his military (军事的) action. In World War Ⅱ, the Americans "broke", or figured out, Japan's most important navy codes and got enough information to destroy a powerful Japanese fleet.
Storekeepers use codes to mark their goods. The codes show how much was paid for the goods or when they were added to the stock (商品). Businessmen use codes to hide plans from their business enemies. Sometimes personal letters or diaries are written in code. Many people enjoy figuring out codes and ciphers simply as a hobby.
In the 16th century, codes and ciphers were very popular among scientists. They wrote messages to each other in code so that no one else would learn their secrets. Geronimo Gardano, an Italian astrologer (星相家), mathematician, and doctor, invented the trellis cipher. He took two sheets of paper and cut exactly the same holes in each one. Then he sent one sheet, which he called a trellis, to a friend and kept the other for himself. Whenever he wanted to write a message, he put his trellis over a clean sheet of paper and wrote the secret message through the holes. Then he removed the trellis and filled the rest of the paper with words that would make sense. When his friend received it, he put his trellis over the writing and read the secret message.

60. The best title of this passage is ___________.
A. Codes and Ciphers
B. Differences between Codes and Ciphers
C. History of Codes and Ciphers
D. Inventors of Codes and Ciphers
61. Which of the following statements is true?
A. Ciphers can be broken or figured out more easily than codes.
B. You could read some words in Geronimo' s letter without his trellis.
C. The first person who ever used a cipher in history was Julius Caesar.
D. Fondness of using codes was the hobby of the scientists in the 16th century.
62. According to Geronimo Cardano, a trellis is ___________.
A. a piece of paper with many small holes
B. a secret message with a lot of small holes
C. a letter with unreadable words and sentences
D. a sheet of paper with groups of Arabic figures
63. It is NOT mentioned in the passage that codes and ciphers are used for the purpose of ___________.
A. military affairs　　　　　　　　　　 B. commercial secrets
C. scientific achievements 　　　　　　 D. personal enjoyment
 
C
Harbour Cruises LTD.
Dining, Sightseeing and Special Events
Get on board to experience Vancouver from a different perspective (视角). Join Harbour Cruises Ltd. For Vancouver's only guided tour of the inner harbour, the always popular dinner cruise, or a luncheon cruise through a quiet coastal mountain bay. Special event cruises are available throughout the year including during the yearly fireworks competition and December's Christmas Carol Ships. Harbour Cruises Ltd. is located next to world-famous Stanley Park.
Dates of Operation: April - October and December
Seasonal Hours: 8 : 00 am - 7 : 00 pm, 7 days a week
Directions: Drive west on Georgia and turn right at the lights at Denman Street. Take the # 135 Stanley Park bus or walk west along Georgia for 15 minutes towards Stanley Park from downtown.
Information: 604.688.7246
Reservations: 1. 800. 663. 1500
Website: www. boatcruises. corn
Email: tours@boatcruises . corn
# 1, North Foot of Den-man Street, Vancouver, BC V6G 2w9
 

The Lookout at Harbour Centre Tower
Not sure where to start? The Lookout，which is high atop Harbor Center Tower，is your best first choice in Vancouver．Majestic cruise ships，mountains sprinkled with fresh snow and a west coast sunset are but a few highlights of this grand 3600 view．Drink your cappuccino，join a free guided tour，learn something new about Vancouver and enjoy the view！
Dates of Operation：Open 365 days/year
Seasonal Hours：Winter 9：00 am - 9：00 pm
Summer 8：30 am - 10：30 pm
Directions：Located downtown at the SeaBus and SkyTrain station．
Just steps away from the Cruise Ship Terminal and historic Gastown．
Information and Reservations：604.689.0421
Website: www. vancouverlookout.com
Email: info@vancouverlookout.com
555 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC V6B 4N4
 
Burnaby Village Museum And Carousel
Step back in time to 1925. The museum features a village, a farmhouse and the historic CW Parker Carousel. Costumed townspeople welcome you to exhibits that include a schoolhouse, a blacksmith, a Chinese medicine store and an ice - cream parlour.
Seasonal Hours: May 4 - Sept 2 (11: 00 am - 4:30 pm )
Christmas Hours: Nov 23 - Dec 13 & Dec31 - Jan 4(12:00 - 5:30 pm) and Dec 14 - 30 (12:00 - 8:00 pm) Closed Dec 24& 25
Directions: Take exit 33 from Hwy 1 to Canada Way. Follow the signs along the sidewalk to Deer Lake Park. 20 minutes from downtown Vancouver.
Information: 604. 293. 6501
Telephone: 604. 293. 6500
Website: www. city. burnaby.cb.ca.
6501 Deer Lake Avenue, Burnaby, BC V5G 3T6

64. To get a bird's-eye view of Vancouver, you can go to ___________.
A. Harbour Cruises LTD　　　　　　　　　 B. Harbour Centre Tower
C. Burnaby Village Museum　　　　　　　  D. Stanley Park
65. If you want to visit one of the places from 8:30 am to 10:30 am on Christmas Day, you can get further information on ___________.
A. Website: www.vancouverlookout.com　　 B. Email: info@vancouverlookout.com
C. Website: www.city.burnaby.cb.ca　　　  D. Website: www.boatcruises.com
66. Which of the following statements is true?
A. A guide is necessary for people to visit Harbour Center Tower.
B. There is fresh snow at Harbor Center Tower for people to enjoy.
C. Harbour Cruises LTD is closer to downtown than Burnaby Village Museum.
D. The ice-cream parlour provides you local delicious food at lunch time on Christmas Day.
67. The main purpose of the advertisements is to attract tourists to Vancouver
A. for the view of mountains　　　　　　  B. for a ship sightseeing
C. for a cultural visit　　　　　　　　   D. for great fun