Part Two Reading Comprehension

Directions:
In this part there passages and one weather forecast followed by questions or unfinished statements each with four suggested answers choose the one that you think is the best answer. Mark your answer on the Answer Sheet by drawing with a pencil a short bar across the corresponding letter in the brackets.

Questions 11-15 are based on the following passage:

Elephants who pant aren’t new . Paintings by Ruby , an Asian elephant who lived at the Phoenix Zoo in Arizona, sold for up to 5,000 in the late 1980s, said Dick George, a consultant with the zoo.

“Ruby was about seven months old when the first came to the zoo,” said George. “She lived with a goat and some chickens, but she didn’t have an elephant companion for a number of years. She spent a lot of time drawing in the dirt with a stick to make her days more stimulating. Her keeper bought her some art supplies.”

George said ,”Ruby was excited about painting right from the beginning.”

The elephants at the art academies in southeast Asia are taught to hold a paintbrush with the tip their trunks .Initially, the keeper guides the elephant’s trunk over the canvas (画布)and offers rewards for good performance.

“It only takes a few hours to a day to teach them,” said Mia Fineman , an art historian whose book When Elephants Paint is an illustrated history of the Asian Elephant Art and Conservation Project.

11.Ruby was an Asian elephant .
A. who was sold for a price as high as 5,000
B. who was famous for being the first painting elephant
C. whose paintings sold for as high as 5,000
D. who started painting in the late 1980s

12.Why did Ruby start painting according to Dick George?
A. Because she was seven years old.
B. Because she was the first to come to the zoo.
C. Because she learned a lot from the goat and the chickens.

13.How did Ruby paint at the very beginning?
A. She used a stick to draw in the dirt.
B. She spent much time in the dirt.
C. She stimulated herself every day.
D. She painted with her keeper’s art supplies.

14.To encourage the elephants to paint well, the keeper .
A. bought them a lot of art supplies
B. made them excited at the beginning
C. taught them to hold a paintbrush with their trunks
D. reinforced the desired behaviors with rewards

15.when Elephants Paint is a book
A. on the history of arts
B. about the painting elephants in Asia
C. explaining how to teach elephants to paint
D. chiefly theorizing about elephant art

Questions 16-20 are based on the following passage:

While it is true that Americans believe climbing the educational ladder leads to success, they are less certain that intellectual achievement is the only important factor leading to success . A competitive personality is seen as important to success , especially in men . The development of social and political skills are also considered to be very important.

To help Americans develop these other important skills , schools have added a large number of extracurricular (课程外) activities to daily life at school . This is especially true of high schools and colleges and extends down into elementary schools as well .

Athletics , frequently called “competitive sports ,”are perhaps the most important in teaching students , particularly boys ,the “winning spirit ,” At times , athletic teams seem to become more important to some students and their parents than the academic programs offered by the schools .

16. Americans believe that education is
A. the only way to success
B. the main purpose of the schools
C. just like climbing ladders
D. important to success

17.Which of the following is NOT mentioned as important to success?
A. intellectual achievement
B. competitive personality
C. social backgrounds
D. social and political skills

18. A variety of extracurricular activities are added in American schools_____
A. to help students climb the education ladder
B. to enrich students’ dull life at school
C. to help students become more successful in later life
D. to extend college education down into elementary schools

19. Athletic activities are designed .
A. to make boys stronger
B. to teach students winning spirit
C. to develop students’ social and political skills
D. to improve the academic programs

20. Which of the following can be the best title for this passage ?
A. Education and Success
B. Extracurricular Activities at School
C. Athletic Sports
D. Intellectual Achievement