第4部分：阅读理解（第31~45题，每题3分，共45分）

　　下面有3篇短文，每篇短文后有5道题。请根据短文内容，为每题确定1个最佳选项。

　　第一篇

Trying to Find a Parther

　　One of the most striking findings of a recent poll in the UK is that of the people inbterviewed，one in two believes that it is becoming more difficult to meet someone to start a family with.

　　Why are many finding it increasingly difficult to start and sustain intimate relationships？Does modern life really make it harder to fall in love？Or are we making it harder for ourselves？

　　It is certainly the case today that contemporary couples benefit in different ways from relationships. Women no longer rely upon partners for economic security or status. A man doesn't expect his spouse to be in sole charge of running his household and raising his children.

　　But perhaps the knowledge that we can live perfectly well without a partnership means that it takes much more to persuade people to abandon their independence.

　　In theory，finding a partner should be much simpler these days. Only a few generations ago，your choice of soulmate （心上人） was constrained by geography，social convention and family tradition. Although it was never explicit，many marriages were essentially arranged.

　　Now those barriers have been broken down. You can approach a builder or a brain surgeon in any bar in any city on any given evening. When the world is your oyster （牡蛎），you surely have a better chance of finding a pearl.

　　But it seems that the old conventions have been replaced by an even tighter constraint：the tyranny of choice.

　　The expectations of partners are inflated to an unmanageable degree：good looks，impressive salary，kind to grandmother，and right socks. There is no room for error in the first impression.

　　We think that a relationship can be perfect. If it isn't，it is disposable. We work to protect ourselves against future heartache and don't put in the hard emotional labor needed to build a strong relationship. Of course，this is complicated by realities. The cost of housing and child-rearing creates pressure to have a stable income and career before a life partnership.

　　31.What does the recent poll show？
　　A.It is getting more difficult for a woman to find her husband.
　　B. It is getting increasingly difficult to start a familyl.
　　C. It is getting more difficult for a man to find his wife.
　　D.It is getting increasingly difficult to develop an intimate relationship with your spouse.

　　32.Which of the following is NOT true about a contemporary married couple？
　　A.  The wife doesn't have to raise the children all by herself.
　　B. The husband doesn't have to support the family all by himself.
　　C. The wife is no longer the only person to manage the household.
　　D. They will receive a large sum of money from the govemment.

　　33.Which of the following was NOT a constraint on one's choice of soulmate in the old days？
　　A. The health condition of his or her grandmother.
　　B. The geographical environment.
　　C. The social convention.
　　D. The family tradition.

　　34.Which of the following is NOT expected of a partner according to this passage？
　　A. Good looks.
　　B. An impressive career.
　　C. A high salary.
　　D. A fine sense of humor.

　　35.The word"sustain"（paragraph 2）could be best replaced by
　　A. "reduce"".
　　B. "shake".
　　C. "maintain".
　　D. "weaken".

　　第二篇

A Very Slow Ride

　　The surface of the earth may seem very stable to you. But you might be amazed if you knew some of the things that are going on under that surface.

　　The earth has an outer shell of rigid pieces called tectonic plates （地壳构造板块）。The plates include both ocean floor and dry land. Some have whole continents on top of them. The continents on top of the plates are just going along for a slow ride，moving only about four inches per year. But even this small movement causes three types of big interactions.

　　One type is ocean ridges. These ridges develop in places where two plates are moving away from each other. As the plates separate，hot magma（岩浆）flows up to fill the space. New crust（地壳）builds up on the plate boundaries and causes ocean ridges. These ridges form long mountain ranges，which only rise above the ocean surface in a few places.

　　Another type of reaction-trenches-occurs between two plates that are moving toward each other. As the plates meet，one bends downward and plunges undemeath the other .This forms deep ocean trenches. The Marianas Trench off Guam in the western Pacific Ocean has a depth of more than 36，000 feet. This is the lowest point on the ocean floor. If the leading edges of the two colliding plates carry continents，then the layers of rock in the overriding plate crumple（变皱）and fold. A plate that carried what is now lndia collided with the southern edge of the plate that carried Europe and most of Asia. This caused the Himalayas，the world's highest mountains.

　　The third reaction is transform faults（转换断层）。These faults occur where two plates that are traveling in opposite directions slide past each other. Severe earthquakes can occur. The San Andreas Fault in Califomia is a good example of this type of movement.

　　36.The word "stable"（paragraph 1）means
　　A. "a place for horses".
　　B. "calm and easygoing".
　　C. "steady or firm".
　　D. "a collection of animals".

　　37.To explain the effect of trenches，the writer gives the example of
　　A. the sea floor in the Atlantic Ocean.
　　B. the Himalayan Mountains.
　　C. Europe.
　　D. lndia.

　　38.The San Andreas Fault is an example of
　　A. a severe earthquake.
　　B. a California rock formation.
　　C. two plates moving apart.
　　D. two plates aliding past each other.

　　39.According to the passage，the earth is
　　A. always changing.
　　B. becoming smaller.
　　C. moving faster.
　　D. getting hotter.

　　40.This passage is mostly about
　　A. effects of movements of the earth's plates.
　　B. different types of continents.
　　C. the Marianas Trench.
　　D. transform faults.

　　第三篇

Mobile Phones：Are They about to Transform Our Lives？

　　We love them so much that some of us sleep with them under the pillow，yet we are increasingly concerned that we cannot escape their electronic reach. We use them to convey our most intimate secrets，yet we worry that they are a threat to our privacy. We rely on them more than the lnternet to cope with modern life，yet many of us don't believe advertisements saying we need more advanced services.

　　Sweeping aside the doubts that many people feel about the benefits of new third generation phones and fears over the health effects of phone masts（天线竿），a recent report clains that the long-term effects of new mobile technologies will be entirely positive so long as the public can be convinced to make use of them. Research about users of mobile phones reveals that the mobile has already moved beyond being a mere practical communications tool to become the backbone （支柱）of modern social life，from love affairs to friendship to work. One female teacher，32，told the researchers："I love my phone. It's my friend."

　　The close relationship between user and phone is most pronounced among teenagers，the report says，who regard their mobiles as an expression of their identity. This is partly because mobiles are seen as being beyond the control of parents. But the researchers suggest that another reason may be that mobiles，especially taxt messaging，are seen as a way of overcoming shyness. "Texting is often used for apologies，to excuse lateness or to communicate other things that make us uncomfortable，"the report says，The impact of phones，however，has been local rather than global，supporting existing friendships and networks，rather than opening users to a new broader community. Even the language of texting in one area can be incomprehensible to anybody from another area.

　　Among the most important benefits of using mobile phones，the report claims，will be a vastly improved mobile infrastructure（基础设施），providing gains throughout the economy，and the provision of a more sophisticated location-based services for users. The report calls on govemment to put more effort into the delivery of services by bobile phone，with suggestions including public transport and traffic information and doctors' text messages to remind patients of appointments. "I love that idea," one user said in an interview. "It would mean I wouldn't have to write a hundred messages to myself."

　　There are many other possibilities. At a recent trade fair in Sweden，a mobile navigation product was launched. When the user enters a destination，a route is automatically downloaded to their mobile and presented by voice，pictures and maps as they drive. In future，these devices will also be able to plan around congestion（交通堵塞）and road works in real time. Third generation phones will also allow for remote monitoring of patients by doctors. In Britain scientists are developing a asthma（哮喘）management solution，using mobiles to detect early signs of an attack.

　　41.What does the writer suggest in the first paragraph about our attitudes to mobile phones？
　　A. We can't live without them.
　　B. We are worried about using them so much.
　　C. We have contradictory feelings about them.
　　D. We need them more than anything else to deal with modem life.

　　42.Which of the following statements is true？
　　A. Modern social life relies significantly on the use of mobile phones.
　　B. Mobile phones make romantic communication more difficult.
　　C. Mobile phones encourage people to make friends.
　　D. Mobile phones enable people of different countries to talk without translation.

　　43.Teenagers have a close relationship with their mobile phones partly because they
　　A. use text messages more than any other group.
　　B. are more likely to be late than older people.
　　C. tend to feel uncomfortable in many situations.
　　D. take mobile phones as an indication of independence from their parents.

　　44.It is suggested that mobile phones should be used to
　　A. give the address of the nearest hospital.
　　B. show bus and train timetables.
　　C. arrange delivery of mails.
　　D. cure diseases.

　　45.The navigation product launched in Sweden is helpful to drivers because it can
　　A. suggest the best route to get to a place.
　　B. download maps of the area.
　　C. tell them which roads are congested.
　　D. show them how to avoid road works.