英语六级阅读理解练习题及答案
篇一：
Out With The Old, In With The New
Get ready to say goodbye to the old , hello to thenew! What’s the occasion ? The coming of the NewYear.
Many western cultures measure their days with thesolar calendar. Therefore, they observe 1 thecoming of the New Year on January 1. Cultures inAsia and the Middle East use other calendars, suchas the more ancient lunar calendar. They celebrate the New Year at other times. Events andrituals vary from country to country. But in each place, New Year celebrations are a big deal.
Most world cultures have been celebrating the New Year for centuries. The earliest New Yearcelebrations took place during spring or harvest time. With better weather ahead, or plenty offood to eat in winter, people naturally felt like having a party! As the days became longer and asnature renewed itself, people also felt like they could have a new start. Past disappointmentscould be forgotten. The New Year could bring better fortune , more opportunities and newchallenges. Such universal themes remain the same today.
New Year celebrations also involve having fun. The Hogmanay festival in Edinburgh, Scotland,features2 theater events, fireworks and dancing. During Hogmanay, Scots burn torches andbarrels of tar, an old practice for keeping evil spirits away. In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the beachbecomes the stage for a huge New Year party. During the day, thousands of people throwflowers into the sea for good luck. In the evening, they enjoy music concerts and fireworks.Everyone is supposed to wear white — the auspicious New Year color.
Some cultures have unusual New Year traditions. Italians throw old things out of their windowsat midnight, symbolizing the departure of the old. Mexicans fire guns into the air to ward offmisfortune. Danes jump off chairs exactly as the clock strikes midnight, so they can“jump”intothe New Year. Greek children leave their shoes by the fireplace on New Year’s Day. They hopeSaint Basil3, a popular Greek saint known for his kindness, will come and fill the shoes withgifts. In Vancouver, Canada, some people celebrate the New Year by jumping into the ocean .The water there is freezing cold! Therefore the event has been aptly named the Polar BearSwim4. As you might expect, most people come to watch the swimmers rather than swimthemselves
London, England, hosts an annual New Year’s Day parade that draws nearly a millionspectators. The largest parade in Europe , it features bands, floats and enormous balloons.These balloons are so huge that they tower over5 nearby buildings!
阅读自测
Ⅰ. Fill in the blanks with proper words :
1. Therefore, they_______ ( 庆祝) the coming of the New Year on January 1.
2. As the days became longer and as nature_______ ( 更新) itself, people also_______ ( 想要)they could have a new start.
3. Everyone is supposed to wear white — the _______( 吉祥的) New Year color.
4. London, England, hosts an annual New Year’s Day parade that draws nearly a million_______ ( 观众) .
5. The largest parade in Europe, it_______ ( 以……为特色) bands, floats and enormousballoons. These balloons are so huge that they_______ ( 高于) nearby buildings!
Ⅱ. Answer the following question in you own words:
Why did the earliest New Year celebrations take place during spring or harvest time?
参考答案
Ⅰ. 1. observe 2. renewed / felt like 3. auspicious 4.spectators 5. features / tower over
Ⅱ. Because with better weather ahead, or plenty offood to eat in winter, people naturally felt like havinga party.
参考译文
辞旧迎新
准备好辞旧迎新! 是什么大事呢? 是新年的来临!
许多西方国家以公历来计日。因此, 他们在1 月1 日庆祝新年的到来。亚洲和中东的 国家则使用其他的历法, 如比公历还要古老的阴历, 因而在其他时间庆祝新年。每个国家 的节日和习俗都不同。但是不论在何处, 新年的庆祝活动都非常隆重。
在世界绝大多数的文化里, 庆祝新年的传统已沿袭了好几百年。历史上最早的新年庆 典是在春天或收获的季节举行。由于天气渐渐转暖, 或是因为冬季食物充足, 人们自然要 庆贺一番。随着白天变长, 万象更新, 人们也觉得自己应该有个新的开始。往日的不快可 以抛之脑后, 新的一年会带来更好的运气、更多的机遇和新的挑战。这些共同的主题沿袭 至今。
新年庆典也包括开心享乐。苏格兰爱丁堡的除夕节庆以戏剧演出、焰火和舞蹈为主 题。在除夕夜, 苏格兰人会点燃火炬和一桶一桶的沥青, 这种传统做法是用来驱赶恶魔的。 在巴西的里约热内卢, 人们在海滩上举行大型新年晚会。白天, 数以万计的人们将鲜花抛 入海中祈求好运。傍晚时分, 他们观赏音乐会和焰火。每个人都身着白色的衣饰, 因为白 色是新年的吉祥色。
有些民族以他们独特的方式庆贺新年。在除夕午夜时分, 意大利人将旧的东西丢出窗 043 外 , 以此来象征除旧布新。墨西哥人则朝空中鸣枪, 以驱走厄运。当午夜的钟声敲响时, 丹 麦人会从椅子上跳起来, 意在“ 跃入”新年。在元旦时, 希腊的孩子们将鞋子留在壁炉旁。 他们期待圣· 巴西勒——— 一个和蔼仁慈、颇受欢迎的`圣人——— 会现身, 在他们的鞋子里塞 满礼物。在加拿大的温哥华, 有人跳入冰冷彻骨的海水中, 以此来庆贺新年。因此, 这项活 动也有个很贴切的名字———“ 北极熊冬泳”。当然, 大部分人是来观看游泳的, 不会亲自下 水。
英国伦敦则举办一年一度的元旦游行, 这吸引将近一百万的观众参加。欧洲最大的游 行都有乐队、花车和巨型气球。这些大气球比附近的建筑物还要高呢!
篇二：
Old Race, New Places
The drums beat as the dragon boats race . Thismust be mainland China or Taiwan, right? Thinkagain. These days the traditional Chinese boats areracing in places as unlikely as England and Italy.Dragon -boat racing was introduced to the world in1982, when the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival1included international competitors. In the 1990s,dragon-boat racing caught on2 in many non-Asian countries. It quickly became the world’sfastest-growing water sport. What’s the appeal3 ? Dragon-boat racing combines athleticcompetition , cultural interest and just plain fun.
The boats are manned4 by 20 paddlers, one drummer and one person who steers. Nearly 18meters long, the colorful boats resemble dragons with elaborate heads and tails. The teampaddles to the beat of the drum. The boats speed along, rising high and moving smoothlyalong the water. In about three to six minutes, they cross the finish line.
The races recall Qu Yuan, a patriotic poet in ancient China. When he drowned in the Mi LuoRiver, the people raced out to save him. But they were too late .
Dragon boats are now racing in towns and cities around the world. Students, working peopleand older people race for fun and exercise . Serious paddlers compete for cups and medals. Inthe United States, the Pacific Northwest International Dragon Cup is in its 11 th year. InToronto, about 250, 000 spectators turn out for dragon-boat races each summer. Swedenhas over 400 teams. Poland, too, has several dragon-boat clubs.
There are even consulting businesses to help people organize local dragon-boat events. Theyhelp with site selection, team training and safety. Besides that, non-profit organizations holdcompetitions to raise money.
And various regional and worldwide races — too many to name — keep serious paddlers busy.In September 2003 , Rome hosted the Club Crews World Championship. In 2004, world-classteams gathered in Shanghai for the fifth International Dragon Boat Federation races. In 2005 . . .
Going to Europe this summer? If so, just remember: When in Rome, do as the Chinese do!
阅读自测
Ⅰ. Complete each sentence with a pro per word , making changes where necessary: ( catch on,appeal, man, patriotic , spectator, consult, amateur, worldclass)
1. Lily is an _________tennis player.
2. Several thousand _________watched the basketball game.
3. That new hairstyle has really_________ . Many people have that hairstyle now.
4. This company does _________work. It helps people start business.
5. The girls _________will the radar till we get back.
6. Kim really loves her country. She is very_________ .
7. This is a _________restaurant. It is known for having excellent quality.
8. The new fashion soon lost its_________ .
Ⅱ. An swe r the followin g que stio n in your own words :
Why does the Dragon-boat Racing become so popular in the world ?
参考答案
Ⅰ. 1. amateur 2. spectators 3. caught on 4 .consulting 5. man 6. patriotic 7 . world-class 8.appeal
Ⅱ. Because it combines athletic competition,cultural interest and just plain fun, and people of allages can take part in this activity.
参考译文
老传统, 新生命
鼓声阵阵, 龙舟竞渡。这一定是在中国大陆或是在中国台湾吧? 不对, 再猜猜看! 如 今, 传统的中国龙舟在英国和意大利等这些不太可能出现的地方比赛。1982 年, 香港龙舟 节广邀世界好手参加, 龙舟赛开始为世人所知。20 世纪90 年代, 龙舟赛逐渐在亚洲以外 许多国家盛行开来, 并迅速成为一项全球性的水上运动。龙舟赛的魅力何在? 它的魅力在 于它将运动竞技、文化趣味以及娱乐完美地结合起来。
船队由18 位划船手、1 位击鼓手和1 位舵手组成。龙舟将近18 米长, 船身被装点得五 彩缤纷, 船头和船尾被精心制作成龙头和龙尾的形状。队伍随着鼓声节奏划桨。随着龙舟 的速度不断加快, 船身的吃水越来越浅, 在水面上飞速前进。大概只需3 ～6 分钟, 龙舟就 能冲过终点线。
这项比赛是为了纪念中国古代爱国诗人屈原而举办的。当年他在汨罗江投水后, 人们 驾船去救他, 但为时已晚。
如今, 赛龙舟盛行于世界的各个城镇。学生、上班族和老年人参加龙舟赛是为了娱乐 和锻炼身体, 而职业的划船手则为奖杯和奖牌而赛。在美国, 西北太平洋世界龙舟锦标赛 已经迈入了第十一个年头。在多伦多, 每年夏天大约有25 万人前去观赏龙舟赛。瑞典有 400 多支龙舟队伍。波兰也有多个龙舟俱乐部。
一些地方甚至还有专门的咨询机构协助筹办地方性的龙舟赛事。他们负责选择比赛 场地, 训练队员和维护安全。此外, 一些非盈利性组织也通过举办龙舟赛来募集资金。
各地还会举办许多地区性或全球性的比赛——— 数目繁多, 不胜枚举——— 这让许多职业 划船手着实非常忙碌。2003 年9 月, 罗马主办了世界龙舟争霸赛。2004 年, 众多世界级的 队伍聚集上海, 参加第五届国际龙舟联盟赛。2005年……
今年夏天要去欧洲吗? 如果是的话, 要记住: 入罗马境, 随龙人俗!
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