閱讀理解訓練（2）

　　A

　　Smog has affected Beijing for at least a week and the Great Hall of the People, where lawmakers will meet next week for the country’s parliamentary session（人大會議）, is hardly visible. Much of north and central China, or one-seventh of the country, was covered in it over the weekend.

　　Responses have included reduced industrial activities, a ban on fireworks and barbecues, raised pollution alerts and reduced vehicles travelling on the roads. Citizens are advised to stay indoors while schools have either stopped classes or suspended outdoor activities.

　　And Chinese officials, after a long period of prioritizing economic development over environmental protection, are now likely to see their future career shaped by how effectively they handle the serious pollution.

　　“Even as a foreigner, I know the pollution has a lot to do with too much focus on economic indicators（指標）in evaluating Chinese officials,” said Florian Kessler, an executive（執行的）director with German law firm WZR Consulting. The German executive speaks fluent Chinese, loves Beijing food and is a big fan of Beijing Guo’an Football Club, but after staying in the city for eight years, he now wants to leave. “Since I smoke, I’m okay with the pollution, but I can’t let my kid breathe in the polluted air. That’s why I’m leaving,” Kessler explained.

　　He also said that German companies operating in Beijing, such as BMW, Benz and Volkswagen, have all had a hard time finding staff willing to work here.

　　China has repeated in the past that we would not follow the old path of industrialized nations to develop first and deal with pollution afterward. But the smog is an awkward reminder that our country is already on that path. Whether we can change route depends on the choice Chinese officials make between environment and growth in the years ahead.

　　21. These are the reasons for smog except _______.

　　A. industrial activities

　　B. fireworks

　　C. outdoor activities

　　D. vehicles

　　22. Florian Kessler considered the pollution had much to do with _________.

　　A. citizens

　　B. Chinese government

　　C. schools

　　D. smokers

　　23. Why do those German companies mentioned in the passage have a hard time?

　　A. Because it is hard for them to find staff who like working here.

　　B. Because they have kids.

　　C. Because they lack money.

　　D. Because Chinese officials don’t like them.

　　24. Which statement below is NOT TRUE according to the passage?

　　A. Smog has affected much of north and central China over the weekend.

　　B. Due to smog, schools must stop classes.

　　C. Chinese officials didn’t pay enough attention to the environment protection.

　　D. Like many other nations, China has to deal with pollution, too.

　　25. What’s the author’s purpose to write this passage?

　　A. To announce that smog has stayed in Beijing for more than a week.

　　B. To state the responses of the people

　　C. To state the tips of surviving smog.

　　D. To appeal to the Chinese government to protect the environment.

　　參考答案21-25 CBABD

　　B

　　As young Chinese increasingly forget how to write characters because they don’t have to, using keyboards and touch screen technology on mobile phones is changing the trend.

　　For Yin Liang, a 26-year-old purchasing agent at a company, his embarrassment over forgetting how to write characters has gradually disappeared since he started to use the handwriting input method on his iPhone 4 a month ago.

　　“When you write on the touch screen, you use your finger, instead of a mouse or keyboard,” Yin says.

　　“Actually, your finger is like a pen, writing the complicated characters that have long been spelled by pinyin, an alphabet-based input system. Whether typing on computers or texting on phones, most users in China type by phonetically （按照發音地）spelling out the sounds of the characters and the software then gives a menu of characters that fit the pronunciation, so users only need to recognize the character.

　　Handwriting technology on a mobile phone touch screen has been around for years and became popular with the iPhone, which recognizes the input and offers a wide selection of characters.

　　“It’s efficient and accurate,” Yin says.

　　Chinese characters are the oldest continuously used system of writing in the world, but as pinyin-based typing has become more widespread, youths have started forgetting how to write out characters. This was one of the main topics for debate at the first Cross-Straits Chinese Character Art Festival, held recently in Beijing, which attracted experts from Taiwan and the mainland.

　　According to Zhang Zikang, president of the Culture and Art Publishing House, writing with a pen on the touch screen brings handwriting into the digital age. It is even better when you write with your finger, feeling the flow of the cursive script（草寫體）and the grace and art of Chinese characters, he says.

　　“Smart gadgets（小裝置）don’t take life from the square-shaped characters, instead they offer a new and advanced platform to show the charm of Chinese characters, which are always evolving,” Zhang says.

　　26. Which way is not mentioned in the passage to input characters on the phone?

　　A. Taking pictures.

　　B. Using a kind of alphabet-based input system.

　　C. Spelling out the sounds of the characters.

　　D. Using their fingers as pens to write.

　　27. The passage probably can be seen in a ________.

　　A. novel

　　B. science fiction

　　C. magazine

　　D. fairy tale

　　28. What does “one of the main topics for debate” in paragraph 7 refer to?

　　A. Chinese character

　　B. Chinese traditional art

　　C. Iphone used by youths

　　D. Youths’ forgetting how to write out characters.

　　29. What will happen to characters as smart gadgets appear?

　　A. The writing of characters will be not important.

　　B. Characters will disappear sooner or later.

　　C. Characters can be only written with your finger.

　　D. Characters will be still attractive by evolving.

　　參考答案、26--29 ACDD

　　C

　　Who won China’s first gold medal at the 2024 Sochi Winter Olympics? It was Li Jianrou. The 27-year-old finished first in the women’s 500m short track speed skating on Feb 13. The race was full of drama. Three athletes fell over because of an accident caused by Elise Christie of Britain in the second turn and Li became the surprise winner.

　　Three-time defending champion Wang Meng of China missed the Olympics after breaking her ankle last month. Li had little experience in the race, where getting off to a quick Start is important. But she kept her cool while everyone else was falling around her.

　　“I feel very lucky,” Li said through a translator.

　　She and one of her coaches cried tears of joy after China joined South Korea as the only countries to win the same short track event four Olympics in a row. The Koreans won the 3,000 relay in 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2006.

　　“I cried because I was so excited,” Li said. “My coach told me this medal is for Wang Meng as well, so I felt very moved.”

　　Li’s victory made up for the surprising fall of teammate Fan Kexin in the semifinals. In the semis, Fan didn’t even complete the first lap of the race, catching her left blade（冰刀）as she skated near the front. She crashed on all fours into the crew of workers who maintain the ice between races. They climbed onto the top of the pads to avoid being injured by Fan’s long, sharp blades.

　　Arianna Fontana of Italy took the silver and Park Seung-hi of South Korea earned the bronze.

　　30. Who made a mistake causing three athletes to fall over in the final?

　　A. Li Jianrou

　　B. Elise Christie

　　C. Arianna Fontana

　　D. Fan Kexin

　　31. Which country won the women’s 500m short track event 4 Olympics in a row as well as China?

　　A. Italy

　　B. Japan

　　C. Britain

　　D. South Korea

　　32. Which statement below is tree according to the passage?

　　A. Li Jianrou won China’s first gold medal at Winter Olympics.

　　B. Wang Meng missed the Olympics because of an injury.

　　C. Fan Kexin was injured by long, sharp blades.

　　D. South Korea ranked second in the event.

　　參考答案30、B

　　31---32、DB

　　D

　　The British Museum

　　Description:

　　The British Museum is a museum in London, which is one of the world’s greatest museums of human history and culture. Its collections, which number more than 13 million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its beginning to the present.

　　The British Museum was established in 1753, largely based on the collections of the physician and scientist Sir Hans Sloane. The museum first opened to the public on 15 January 1759 in Montagu House in Bloomsbury, on the site of the current museum building. Its expansion over the following two and a half centuries was largely a result of an expanding British colonial footprint and has resulted in the creation of several branch institutions. Until 1997, when the British Library （previously centered on the Round Reading Room）moved to a new site, the British

　　Museum housed both a national museum of antiquities and a national library in the same building. The museum is a non-departmental public body sponsored（贊助）by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Since 2002 the director of the museum has been Neil MacGregor.

　　Admission and opening hours:

　　The museum is open every day from 10am to 6pm （Fridays 10am to 5:30pm）and it charges no admission fee, except for loan exhibitions.

　　How to get there:

　　By train: 7:00-18:30 every day. By Underground: 8:00-18:30 every day.

　　By bus: 7:30-18:30 every day.

　　By coach: 7:00--19:30 every day.

　　Nearest underground stations:

　　Tottenham Court Road （500m）Holborn （500m）Russell Square （800m）

　　33. When was the British Museum opened to the public for the first time?

　　A. In 1753.

　　B. In 1759.

　　C. In 1997.

　　D. In 2002.

　　34. You are at the Museum at seven in the evening and you want to go back to Oxford. Which means of transportation will you choose?

　　A. By coach.

　　B. By bus.

　　C. By train.

　　D. By underground.

　　35. Which statement is NOT TRUE according to the text?

　　A. The British Museum has collected more than 13 million objects.

　　B. The British Museum is open from 10 am to 6 pm every day.

　　C. The British Museum is a great museum of human history and culture.

　　D. The British Museum’s expansion in the past was mainly because of an expanding British colonial footprint.

　　參考答案、33—35、BAB

　　閱讀理解訓練（2）

　　A

　　Smog has affected Beijing for at least a week and the Great Hall of the People, where lawmakers will meet next week for the country’s parliamentary session（人大會議）, is hardly visible. Much of north and central China, or one-seventh of the country, was covered in it over the weekend.

　　Responses have included reduced industrial activities, a ban on fireworks and barbecues, raised pollution alerts and reduced vehicles travelling on the roads. Citizens are advised to stay indoors while schools have either stopped classes or suspended outdoor activities.

　　And Chinese officials, after a long period of prioritizing economic development over environmental protection, are now likely to see their future career shaped by how effectively they handle the serious pollution.

　　“Even as a foreigner, I know the pollution has a lot to do with too much focus on economic indicators（指標）in evaluating Chinese officials,” said Florian Kessler, an executive（執行的）director with German law firm WZR Consulting. The German executive speaks fluent Chinese, loves Beijing food and is a big fan of Beijing Guo’an Football Club, but after staying in the city for eight years, he now wants to leave. “Since I smoke, I’m okay with the pollution, but I can’t let my kid breathe in the polluted air. That’s why I’m leaving,” Kessler explained.

　　He also said that German companies operating in Beijing, such as BMW, Benz and Volkswagen, have all had a hard time finding staff willing to work here.

　　China has repeated in the past that we would not follow the old path of industrialized nations to develop first and deal with pollution afterward. But the smog is an awkward reminder that our country is already on that path. Whether we can change route depends on the choice Chinese officials make between environment and growth in the years ahead.

　　21. These are the reasons for smog except _______.

　　A. industrial activities

　　B. fireworks

　　C. outdoor activities

　　D. vehicles

　　22. Florian Kessler considered the pollution had much to do with _________.

　　A. citizens

　　B. Chinese government

　　C. schools

　　D. smokers

　　23. Why do those German companies mentioned in the passage have a hard time?

　　A. Because it is hard for them to find staff who like working here.

　　B. Because they have kids.

　　C. Because they lack money.

　　D. Because Chinese officials don’t like them.

　　24. Which statement below is NOT TRUE according to the passage?

　　A. Smog has affected much of north and central China over the weekend.

　　B. Due to smog, schools must stop classes.

　　C. Chinese officials didn’t pay enough attention to the environment protection.

　　D. Like many other nations, China has to deal with pollution, too.

　　25. What’s the author’s purpose to write this passage?

　　A. To announce that smog has stayed in Beijing for more than a week.

　　B. To state the responses of the people

　　C. To state the tips of surviving smog.

　　D. To appeal to the Chinese government to protect the environment.

　　參考答案21-25 CBABD

　　B

　　As young Chinese increasingly forget how to write characters because they don’t have to, using keyboards and touch screen technology on mobile phones is changing the trend.

　　For Yin Liang, a 26-year-old purchasing agent at a company, his embarrassment over forgetting how to write characters has gradually disappeared since he started to use the handwriting input method on his iPhone 4 a month ago.

　　“When you write on the touch screen, you use your finger, instead of a mouse or keyboard,” Yin says.

　　“Actually, your finger is like a pen, writing the complicated characters that have long been spelled by pinyin, an alphabet-based input system. Whether typing on computers or texting on phones, most users in China type by phonetically （按照發音地）spelling out the sounds of the characters and the software then gives a menu of characters that fit the pronunciation, so users only need to recognize the character.

　　Handwriting technology on a mobile phone touch screen has been around for years and became popular with the iPhone, which recognizes the input and offers a wide selection of characters.

　　“It’s efficient and accurate,” Yin says.

　　Chinese characters are the oldest continuously used system of writing in the world, but as pinyin-based typing has become more widespread, youths have started forgetting how to write out characters. This was one of the main topics for debate at the first Cross-Straits Chinese Character Art Festival, held recently in Beijing, which attracted experts from Taiwan and the mainland.

　　According to Zhang Zikang, president of the Culture and Art Publishing House, writing with a pen on the touch screen brings handwriting into the digital age. It is even better when you write with your finger, feeling the flow of the cursive script（草寫體）and the grace and art of Chinese characters, he says.

　　“Smart gadgets（小裝置）don’t take life from the square-shaped characters, instead they offer a new and advanced platform to show the charm of Chinese characters, which are always evolving,” Zhang says.

　　26. Which way is not mentioned in the passage to input characters on the phone?

　　A. Taking pictures.

　　B. Using a kind of alphabet-based input system.

　　C. Spelling out the sounds of the characters.

　　D. Using their fingers as pens to write.

　　27. The passage probably can be seen in a ________.

　　A. novel

　　B. science fiction

　　C. magazine

　　D. fairy tale

　　28. What does “one of the main topics for debate” in paragraph 7 refer to?

　　A. Chinese character

　　B. Chinese traditional art

　　C. Iphone used by youths

　　D. Youths’ forgetting how to write out characters.

　　29. What will happen to characters as smart gadgets appear?

　　A. The writing of characters will be not important.

　　B. Characters will disappear sooner or later.

　　C. Characters can be only written with your finger.

　　D. Characters will be still attractive by evolving.

　　參考答案、26--29 ACDD

　　C

　　Who won China’s first gold medal at the 2024 Sochi Winter Olympics? It was Li Jianrou. The 27-year-old finished first in the women’s 500m short track speed skating on Feb 13. The race was full of drama. Three athletes fell over because of an accident caused by Elise Christie of Britain in the second turn and Li became the surprise winner.

　　Three-time defending champion Wang Meng of China missed the Olympics after breaking her ankle last month. Li had little experience in the race, where getting off to a quick Start is important. But she kept her cool while everyone else was falling around her.

　　“I feel very lucky,” Li said through a translator.

　　She and one of her coaches cried tears of joy after China joined South Korea as the only countries to win the same short track event four Olympics in a row. The Koreans won the 3,000 relay in 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2006.

　　“I cried because I was so excited,” Li said. “My coach told me this medal is for Wang Meng as well, so I felt very moved.”

　　Li’s victory made up for the surprising fall of teammate Fan Kexin in the semifinals. In the semis, Fan didn’t even complete the first lap of the race, catching her left blade（冰刀）as she skated near the front. She crashed on all fours into the crew of workers who maintain the ice between races. They climbed onto the top of the pads to avoid being injured by Fan’s long, sharp blades.

　　Arianna Fontana of Italy took the silver and Park Seung-hi of South Korea earned the bronze.

　　30. Who made a mistake causing three athletes to fall over in the final?

　　A. Li Jianrou

　　B. Elise Christie

　　C. Arianna Fontana

　　D. Fan Kexin

　　31. Which country won the women’s 500m short track event 4 Olympics in a row as well as China?

　　A. Italy

　　B. Japan

　　C. Britain

　　D. South Korea

　　32. Which statement below is tree according to the passage?

　　A. Li Jianrou won China’s first gold medal at Winter Olympics.

　　B. Wang Meng missed the Olympics because of an injury.

　　C. Fan Kexin was injured by long, sharp blades.

　　D. South Korea ranked second in the event.

　　參考答案30、B

　　31---32、DB

　　D

　　The British Museum

　　Description:

　　The British Museum is a museum in London, which is one of the world’s greatest museums of human history and culture. Its collections, which number more than 13 million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its beginning to the present.

　　The British Museum was established in 1753, largely based on the collections of the physician and scientist Sir Hans Sloane. The museum first opened to the public on 15 January 1759 in Montagu House in Bloomsbury, on the site of the current museum building. Its expansion over the following two and a half centuries was largely a result of an expanding British colonial footprint and has resulted in the creation of several branch institutions. Until 1997, when the British Library （previously centered on the Round Reading Room）moved to a new site, the British

　　Museum housed both a national museum of antiquities and a national library in the same building. The museum is a non-departmental public body sponsored（贊助）by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Since 2002 the director of the museum has been Neil MacGregor.

　　Admission and opening hours:

　　The museum is open every day from 10am to 6pm （Fridays 10am to 5:30pm）and it charges no admission fee, except for loan exhibitions.

　　How to get there:

　　By train: 7:00-18:30 every day. By Underground: 8:00-18:30 every day.

　　By bus: 7:30-18:30 every day.

　　By coach: 7:00--19:30 every day.

　　Nearest underground stations:

　　Tottenham Court Road （500m）Holborn （500m）Russell Square （800m）

　　33. When was the British Museum opened to the public for the first time?

　　A. In 1753.

　　B. In 1759.

　　C. In 1997.

　　D. In 2002.

　　34. You are at the Museum at seven in the evening and you want to go back to Oxford. Which means of transportation will you choose?

　　A. By coach.

　　B. By bus.

　　C. By train.

　　D. By underground.

　　35. Which statement is NOT TRUE according to the text?

　　A. The British Museum has collected more than 13 million objects.

　　B. The British Museum is open from 10 am to 6 pm every day.

　　C. The British Museum is a great museum of human history and culture.

　　D. The British Museum’s expansion in the past was mainly because of an expanding British colonial footprint.

　　參考答案、33—35、BAB