2014高考英语冲刺阅读理解专项 50-4
A
The young man arrived on the Massachusetts beach early carrying a radio, a shovel, and a strange set of tools: a brick layer’s trowel, a palette knife, spatulas, spoons, and a spray bottle.
He walked down near the water—the tide was out—put down the radio and tuned it to soft rock. Then he shoveled wet sand into a pile nearly four feet high and as many feet across. Then he created a rectangular（长方形的）shape.
After that, he set to work with palette knife, spatulas, and spoons. He shaped a graceful tower, topped walls, fashioned beautiful bay windows, and carved out big front gate.
The man knew his sand. He smoothly finished some surfaces and embroidered（雕刻）artistic designs on others. As the shapes began to dry, he gently kept them slightly wet with water from the spray bottle, in case they might break in the wind.
All this took hours. People gathered. At last he stood back, obviously satisfied with a castle worthy of the Austrian countryside or Disneyland.
Then he gathered his tools and radio and moved them up to drier sand. He had known for a while what many in the rapt（全神贯注的） crowd still overlooked: the tide was coming in. Not only had he practiced his art with confidence and style, he had done so against a powerful, immutable（不可抗拒的）deadline.
As the crowd looked on, water began to lap at the base of the castle. In minutes it was surrounded. Then the rising flood began to eat into the base, walls fell, the tower fell, and finally the gate’s arch fell. More minutes passed, and small waves erased bay windows and battlements—soon no more than a small part was left.
Many in the crowd looked terribly sad; some voiced fears and discouragement. But the sculptor（雕塑家） remained calm. He had, after all, had a wonderful day, making beauty out of nothing, and watching it return to nothing as time and tide moved on.
1. In this selection, why did the sculptor start early in the day?
A. He knew the tide was out on this particular morning. B. It gave time for the crowd to gather. C. He needed the sun to help dry the sand. D. It was easier to begin with only a few people around.
答案解析：答案为A。本题为推理题。文章的开头提到年轻男子一大早带着他的工具来到了沙滩，由第二段的首句 “…the tide was out….” 可知潮水已消退, 他进行后面的工作都是在此前提下进行。故答案为A。
2. Which of the following best shows that the sculptor was an expert?
A. He attracted a large crowd. B. He created beautiful details.
C. He was able to finish his work. D. He showed satisfaction on his face.
答案解析：答案为B。本题为细节推理题。文章的前四段都是在描述年轻男子进行雕塑工作的全过程，选择地点，时间和对工作细致认真，从第三段的 “graceful”、 “ fashioned beautiful” 和第四段的 “smoothly finished”、 “gently kept” 等词都可以看出他的技术熟练。 故答案为B，雕塑家创造的美丽细节证明了他是个专家。
3. In this selection, what does the incoming tide signal?
A. It is time to begin working.
B. It is the busiest time of the day.
C. It is the end of a day’s work.
D. It is time for lookers-on to leave.
答案解析：答案为C。本题为细节推理题。第六段的第二句话 “…the tide was coming in”是设题点，本句后面的 “…he had done so against a powerful, immutable（不可抗拒的）deadline.” 其中，deadline告诉我们到来的潮水就是雕塑工作的最后期限，故答案为C。
4. How did the lookers-on react when the tide began to come in?
A. They tried to save the sand castle.
B. They were disappointed to see the art ruined.
C. They were nervous about their own belongings.
D. They helped the artist finish the castle.
答案解析：答案为B。本题为细节题。从最后一段首句 “Many in the crowd looked terribly sad; some voiced fears and discouragement.” 可知, 故答案为B。
5. The reader can tell that the sculptor’s reward for his work is
A. payment for his work B. attention from the crowd C. fame as an artist D. personal satisfaction
答案解析：答案为D。本题为推理题。从最后一段 “But the sculptor（雕塑家） remained calm. He had, after all, had a wonderful day, making beauty out of nothing, and watching it return to nothing as time and tide moved on.” 可知，雕塑家对于被潮水毁掉的作品非常镇定，这一天他完成了一件美丽的作品，对于他个人来说，心灵获得了满足。故答案为D。
B
Getting into the City
From John F. Kennedy International Airport
Queens:（718)244-4444
Distance to midtown:15 miles
Time to midtown:50-60 minutes
Hours of operation:24
Traveler’s Aid:(718)656-4870
MTA-
New York City Transit Authority Buses from the airport connect with subway stops in Queens and Brooklyn: a free shuttle goes from JFK terminals to the
A line; the Q3 bus goes to the F line; and the B15 goes to the 3 line. Also, the Q10, operated by Green Bus Lines(718 995-4700), connects to the E,F, J, and Z lines. Bus/ subway fare is ＄1.5, paid in exact change, with a token, or with a MetroCard.
Reader card#67.Ad on p.43.
New York Airport Service
(718)875——30 minutes to NYC’s Penn Station, Port Authority, and Grand Central Terminal(＄13) and to Manhattan hotels between 33rd and 57th Sts. (＄15). Reader card #230. Ad on p.25.
SuperShuttle
52—15 11th St., Long Island City, Queens 11101;(212)209—7000,(800)258—3826, —to—door transportation, 24 hours, 365 days. Look for the blue van. Reader card #123. Ad on p.39.
.
B. telephone (212)209—7000 or (800) 258—3826 C. read the ad on page 43 of the book D. visit www.supershuttle.com
答案解析：答案为C。本题为细节题。广告类的文章，可运用查读法。题干对MetroCard提问，查找文章的New York City Transit Authority部分，发现最后的内容提到了MetroCard，并且从最后一句话 “Reader card#67.Ad on p.43.”可知，答案为C。
2. What do you know about New York City subway lines from the reading?
A. They supply door to door transportation. B. They are directly connected with the airport. C. They run 24 hours, 365 days, marked with colors. D. They are marked with either numbers or letters.
答案解析：答案为D。本题为细节题。本题需要细看文章，先定位题干的 “New York City subway lines”, 而后从文章的 “New York City Transit Authority” 部分看到 “…subway stops in Queens and Brooklyn: a free shuttle goes from JFK terminals to the A line; the Q3 bus goes to the F line; and the B15 goes to the 3 line. Also, the Q10, …connects to the E,F, J, and Z lines.”, 其中，“A line”、“the F line” 和 “3 line.” 都是地铁线路，有字母和数字，故答案为
D。
3. Suppose you want to get to a Manhattan hotel in 23rd Street from the airport, you’d better .
A. take a bus shuttle
B. take a bus by Green Bus Line
C. take SuperShuttle
D. take a subway
答案解析：答案为C。本题为细节题。要从机场去Manhattan hotel in 23rd Street，查读第
二部分, 在New York Airport Service中提到了Manhattan hotels，接下来的SuperShuttle介绍了52—15 11th St., Long Island City,…” 故答案为C。
2014高考英语冲刺阅读理解专项 50-4
A
The young man arrived on the Massachusetts beach early carrying a radio, a shovel, and a strange set of tools: a brick layer’s trowel, a palette knife, spatulas, spoons, and a spray bottle.
He walked down near the water—the tide was out—put down the radio and tuned it to soft rock. Then he shoveled wet sand into a pile nearly four feet high and as many feet across. Then he created a rectangular（长方形的）shape.
After that, he set to work with palette knife, spatulas, and spoons. He shaped a graceful tower, topped walls, fashioned beautiful bay windows, and carved out big front gate.
The man knew his sand. He smoothly finished some surfaces and embroidered（雕刻）artistic designs on others. As the shapes began to dry, he gently kept them slightly wet with water from the spray bottle, in case they might break in the wind.
All this took hours. People gathered. At last he stood back, obviously satisfied with a castle worthy of the Austrian countryside or Disneyland.
Then he gathered his tools and radio and moved them up to drier sand. He had known for a while what many in the rapt（全神贯注的） crowd still overlooked: the tide was coming in. Not only had he practiced his art with confidence and style, he had done so against a powerful, immutable（不可抗拒的）deadline.
As the crowd looked on, water began to lap at the base of the castle. In minutes it was surrounded. Then the rising flood began to eat into the base, walls fell, the tower fell, and finally the gate’s arch fell. More minutes passed, and small waves erased bay windows and battlements—soon no more than a small part was left.
Many in the crowd looked terribly sad; some voiced fears and discouragement. But the sculptor（雕塑家） remained calm. He had, after all, had a wonderful day, making beauty out of nothing, and watching it return to nothing as time and tide moved on.
1. In this selection, why did the sculptor start early in the day?
A. He knew the tide was out on this particular morning. B. It gave time for the crowd to gather. C. He needed the sun to help dry the sand. D. It was easier to begin with only a few people around.
答案解析：答案为A。本题为推理题。文章的开头提到年轻男子一大早带着他的工具来到了沙滩，由第二段的首句 “…the tide was out….” 可知潮水已消退, 他进行后面的工作都是在此前提下进行。故答案为A。
2. Which of the following best shows that the sculptor was an expert?
A. He attracted a large crowd. B. He created beautiful details.
C. He was able to finish his work. D. He showed satisfaction on his face.
答案解析：答案为B。本题为细节推理题。文章的前四段都是在描述年轻男子进行雕塑工作的全过程，选择地点，时间和对工作细致认真，从第三段的 “graceful”、 “ fashioned beautiful” 和第四段的 “smoothly finished”、 “gently kept” 等词都可以看出他的技术熟练。 故答案为B，雕塑家创造的美丽细节证明了他是个专家。
3. In this selection, what does the incoming tide signal?
A. It is time to begin working.
B. It is the busiest time of the day.
C. It is the end of a day’s work.
D. It is time for lookers-on to leave.
答案解析：答案为C。本题为细节推理题。第六段的第二句话 “…the tide was coming in”是设题点，本句后面的 “…he had done so against a powerful, immutable（不可抗拒的）deadline.” 其中，deadline告诉我们到来的潮水就是雕塑工作的最后期限，故答案为C。
4. How did the lookers-on react when the tide began to come in?
A. They tried to save the sand castle.
B. They were disappointed to see the art ruined.
C. They were nervous about their own belongings.
D. They helped the artist finish the castle.
答案解析：答案为B。本题为细节题。从最后一段首句 “Many in the crowd looked terribly sad; some voiced fears and discouragement.” 可知, 故答案为B。
5. The reader can tell that the sculptor’s reward for his work is
A. payment for his work B. attention from the crowd C. fame as an artist D. personal satisfaction
答案解析：答案为D。本题为推理题。从最后一段 “But the sculptor（雕塑家） remained calm. He had, after all, had a wonderful day, making beauty out of nothing, and watching it return to nothing as time and tide moved on.” 可知，雕塑家对于被潮水毁掉的作品非常镇定，这一天他完成了一件美丽的作品，对于他个人来说，心灵获得了满足。故答案为D。
B
Getting into the City
From John F. Kennedy International Airport
Queens:（718)244-4444
Distance to midtown:15 miles
Time to midtown:50-60 minutes
Hours of operation:24
Traveler’s Aid:(718)656-4870
MTA-
New York City Transit Authority Buses from the airport connect with subway stops in Queens and Brooklyn: a free shuttle goes from JFK terminals to the
A line; the Q3 bus goes to the F line; and the B15 goes to the 3 line. Also, the Q10, operated by Green Bus Lines(718 995-4700), connects to the E,F, J, and Z lines. Bus/ subway fare is ＄1.5, paid in exact change, with a token, or with a MetroCard.
Reader card#67.Ad on p.43.
New York Airport Service
(718)875——30 minutes to NYC’s Penn Station, Port Authority, and Grand Central Terminal(＄13) and to Manhattan hotels between 33rd and 57th Sts. (＄15). Reader card #230. Ad on p.25.
SuperShuttle
52—15 11th St., Long Island City, Queens 11101;(212)209—7000,(800)258—3826, —to—door transportation, 24 hours, 365 days. Look for the blue van. Reader card #123. Ad on p.39.
.
B. telephone (212)209—7000 or (800) 258—3826 C. read the ad on page 43 of the book D. visit www.supershuttle.com
答案解析：答案为C。本题为细节题。广告类的文章，可运用查读法。题干对MetroCard提问，查找文章的New York City Transit Authority部分，发现最后的内容提到了MetroCard，并且从最后一句话 “Reader card#67.Ad on p.43.”可知，答案为C。
2. What do you know about New York City subway lines from the reading?
A. They supply door to door transportation. B. They are directly connected with the airport. C. They run 24 hours, 365 days, marked with colors. D. They are marked with either numbers or letters.
答案解析：答案为D。本题为细节题。本题需要细看文章，先定位题干的 “New York City subway lines”, 而后从文章的 “New York City Transit Authority” 部分看到 “…subway stops in Queens and Brooklyn: a free shuttle goes from JFK terminals to the A line; the Q3 bus goes to the F line; and the B15 goes to the 3 line. Also, the Q10, …connects to the E,F, J, and Z lines.”, 其中，“A line”、“the F line” 和 “3 line.” 都是地铁线路，有字母和数字，故答案为
D。
3. Suppose you want to get to a Manhattan hotel in 23rd Street from the airport, you’d better .
A. take a bus shuttle
B. take a bus by Green Bus Line
C. take SuperShuttle
D. take a subway
答案解析：答案为C。本题为细节题。要从机场去Manhattan hotel in 23rd Street，查读第
二部分, 在New York Airport Service中提到了Manhattan hotels，接下来的SuperShuttle介绍了52—15 11th St., Long Island City,…” 故答案为C。