高三阅读理解专项题型突破—主旨大意题
在高三阅读的复习中，对阅读理解所考察的几大题型（主旨大意、猜测词义、推理判断、细节理解等等）是我们训练的重点，在注重训练量的同时，也必须注意各种题型的应对方法。通过平时训练以及对高考题的研究，我们发现主旨大意题在阅读理解试题中所占比例及难度都相当大。主旨大意是作者在文章中要表达的主要内容，是全文的核心，作者在文章中努力通过各种细节信息来阐明的中心话题。因此在阅读中，我们能否看懂文章，一个重要的衡量标准就是测试我们是否理解了整篇文章的主旨大意，是否具有把握主题思想的能力。每篇短文虽都有主题思想，但作者表现主题的手法各不相同。
主要考查题型总结为以下三种：
1.Main Topic类型
要求学生指出文章的Topic（论题）或Subject（主题），或Title（标题）等。典型问题形式：
What is the main topic of this passage？
The passage is chiefly concerned with _______.
What is the main subject of the passage?
The best title for this passage might be _____.
What topic is treated in this passage?
The title best expresses the idea of the passage is_____.
The passage can be entitled _________.
2．Main Idea类型
要求学生选择表达作者思想、观点的句子。典型问题形式：
What is the main idea/point of this passage？
The main idea of this article is ______.
This passage is mainly about ______.
The central point of the selection is_______.
The major point discussed in the passage is _____.
The aim of the writer is to show that._______.
Which of the following best states the theme of the passage?
The main idea of the passage may be best expressed as_____.
3．Purpose类型
要求学生找到主要的写作目的。典型问题形式：
What is the author's main purpose in the passage?
The author's purpose of writing this passage is to _____.
经过训练，我们会逐步发现这些题型的共性。但在阅读中如何才能快速、准确的抓住文章的主旨大意呢？通常的方法分为两种：
1. 找出主题句。
一般来说，主题句会出现在文章或段落的开头、中间或结尾。新闻类导语提携全文；议论文-总-分-总 ；说明文—主题句—首（较常见）---尾（较少）；记叙文 –首-中—尾--（中心贯穿全文较常见）。
2. 找出主题词。
有些文章是没有明显的主题句的，
这就需要我们找出主题词或关键词，然后根据文章的内容自己归纳出文章的中心思想。
主题句是在段落中最能概括说明段落中心思想的句子。
我们在阅读中要想抓住文章或段落的中心思想，最简洁而且行之有效的方法就是找到主题句。据统计，说明文和科技文献都是有主题句的，其中50%的主题句在段首，30%的主题句在段尾，
15%的主题句在段落中间。因此，如果文章只有一段，看懂文章的开头两句是极为重要的。如果文章有几段，则每一段的第一句都要仔细地读，尤其是最长的一段更要注意它的主要内容。
（一）主题句
1.主题句在段首
主题句通常位于段落的开头，其后的句子则是论证性细节。因为以主题句开头的段落最容易突出中心思想，对读者来说最容易把握作者的思路，而这就是英语中最常见的演绎写作法，在做论述文、科技文和新闻题时最容易见到。
Ex: (2011 湖南卷)
A recent study of ancient and modern elephants has come up with the unexpected conclusion that the African elephant is divided into two distinct (不同的) species. The discovery was made by researchers at York and Harvard Universities when they were examining the genetic relationship between the ancient woolly mammoth and mastodon to modern elephants -- the Asian elephant, African forest elephant and African savanna elephant.
……
70. Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
A. Naturalists' Beliefs about Elephants B. Amazing Experiment about Elephants.
C. An Unexpected Finding about Elephants. D. A Long Scientist Debate about Elephants
答案：C
通读文章之后，考生会发现本文讲述了一项新的科学发现：非洲森林大象和草原大象是两个不同的物种。而文章的第一段（一句话）就已指出了the unexpected conclusion that
…
下面的文章都是围绕这个出乎意料的结论展开的，主旨非常突出，所以考生很容易做出答案。
2. 主题句在段尾
主题句出现在文章结尾是作者采用了先摆事实后作结论的手法。一般说来，当一种观点不易向人解释清楚，或不易被人接受时，主题句便会到段落的末尾才出现。这种段落称作归纳型段落，这是英语中最常见的归纳写作法。
Ex：Doctors are of the opinion that most people cannot live beyond 100 years, but a growing number of scientists believe that the aging process can be controlled. There are more than 12 000 Americans over l00 years old, and their numbers are increasing each year. Dr. James Langley of Chicago claims that, theoretically and under ideal conditions，animals，Including man，can live six times longer than their normal period of growth．
A person's period of growth lasts about 25 years. If Dr．Langley's theory is accurate, future generations can expect a life span of 150 years.
l. Which of the following statements best expresses the main idea of the passage?
A. Within a few generations, most people may live much longer than they do now.
B. More than 12,000 Americans are over 100 years old.
C. Doctors and scientists disagree over the question of man's possible life span.
D. Man's normal period of growth is approximately as long as that of animals.
答案：A
这段文章前几句是医生对人们究竟能够活多久所持的两种不同的看法，不具备主题句概括的特征，只有最后一句是总结性的，故选A。但有些时候，主题句会首尾呼应。为突出主题，作者开篇点题，为进一步引申和发展，结尾还会出现一次，形式非常灵活，使人印象深刻，行文也非常严谨。
3. 主题句在中间
一般情况下，文章的开头会对所讨论问题的背景进行交代，然后用一句概括、总结性的句子对前文进行总结，接着再围绕提出的主题展开深入的讨论。
（二）寻找关键词，归纳总结
以上所讨论的三种方法是相对来说比较容易的，但有时候文章中不会出现明显的主题句，作者会用一种含蓄的、间接的方式表达中心思想，在这种情况下，考生不应急于选择，而是应静下心来研读文章，找出关键词和相关的细节，在此基础上进行合理推理，最终归纳出主题句。
我们还要注意区别考察主旨大意题时存在的几类干扰信息：
1. 概括范围太窄，表意片面，不能概括整篇文章的主旨大意。
2. 概括范围太宽，外延大，所表达的内容超出文章阐述的内容。
3. 无关信息：即文章中未提到、或找不到信息依据。
Ex: Rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are a major contributor to climate change, and now a new study has confirmed that atmospheric CO2 is also affecting the ocean chemistry, potentially harming sea life. Montana State University scientist Robert Dore has been taking samples of water in the Pacific Ocean for almost two decades. “We have been going to the same spot in the Pacific Ocean, and we try to characterize long-term change in the open ocean environment. And one of the key things that we measure is CO2 levels. And we've been able to document this progressive invasion of atmospheric CO2 into the ocean."
……
46. What can be the best title of the passage?
A. Sea Life Facing Danger
B. Scientist Researching Seawater
C. Oceans Becoming More Acidic
D. Climate Change Affecting Seawater
答案：A 主题句就是第一段CO2对海洋生物的危害，文章依此展开。
B、C两项只是论述此中心时的细节，做标题太以偏概全；而D项范围又太大，故A最合适。
以上就是针对英语阅读中主旨大意题解题的一些基本方法的阐述。
当然，在不断学习中，面对不同问题，我们也会慢慢摸索出符合自己做题的方法，只要能提高能力、成绩就是好方法。阅读虽是英语考试中很难把握的一部分，但是只要我们按照对应的方法用心的进行练习，就会有所收获。
课堂演练I. Five different structures of articles
Passage 1. _______________________
People have known about gold for a very long time. The early cave people knew of gold. Gold cups were used by people who lived more than 5,000 years ago. Gold necklaces and other things made of gold have been found in Egypt. They are also more than 5,000 years old.
1. The main idea of the passage is ________.
A. gold is widely used B. many things can be made of gold.
C. gold was known by people a long time ago. D. gold was found 5,000 years ago
Passage 2. _______________________
One of the most important uses of gold is for money. Gold can be used to make rings, earrings, and other things. Gold is also used to make gold leaf, a very flat ribbon(饰带) of gold that is often used on picture frames. Cups and dishes can also be made from gold. Gold has many uses.
2. What’s the best title of this passage?
A. The uses of gold rings B. The uses of gold C. Picture frames D. Gold rings
Passage 3. ________________________
A port is a place where ships stay when they are not sailing. Ships usually load or unload at a port. So, a spaceport is a place where “spaceships” stay when they are not flying. It has special buildings where the spaceships are kept. It also has supplies needed for space travel.
3. The passage mainly tells us ________.
A. what a spaceport is B. that a port is a place where ships stay
C. that a spaceport is a special building D. what a port and a spaceport are
Passage 4. ____________________________
At this time the state of South Carolina was having hard times. Year after year the soil had been planted to the same crop. It was farmed by uneducated and careless slaves, and the planters knew little about soil conservation. Because the soil was beginning to wear out, crops were smaller. The younger people were not satisfied to raise cotton on the poor soil of the old South. Many of them moved westward and started cotton plantations (种植园) in Alabama and Mississippi. What was more, so much cotton had been shipped to factories in England and New England that they had as much cotton as they could use. This brought the price of cotton down. More and more slaves were needed to work on the new and large plantations, and higher and higher prices were demanded for them. Planters found their expenses rising and their incomes from the sale of cotton reduced. Hard times had come to South Carolina.
4. What is the writer trying to tell us?
A. Economic (经济的) difficulties of South Carolina
B. The planters knew nothing about farming
C. The soil in South Carolina was not good
D. The causes of hard times in South Carolina
Passage 5. _____________________________________
Joshua Bingham studied 4 years at the University of Paris and decided to leave his graduation. He transferred to the University of Berlin and graduated with honors. Harvard Law School and, later, Boston College provided him with an excellent legal background. He is presently a corporation lawyer in Miami, Florida.
5. The subject of this passage is that __________.
A. how Joshua Bingham became a lawyer. B. Bingham is a diligent student.　
C. Joshua Bingham received an excellent education. D. a good lawyer needs good education

二、实战演练（主题类）
1
…
I am not special, just single-minded. It always struck me that when you’re looking at a big challenge from the outside it looks huge, but when you’re in the midst of it, it just seems normal. Everything you want won’t arrive in your life on one day. It’s a process. Remember; little steps add up to big dreams.
44. What does the author mostly want to tell us in the last paragraph?
A. Failure is the mother of success. B. Little by little, one goes far.
C. Every coin has two sides. D. Well begun, half done.
2
Driving a car is not just handling controls and judging speed and distance. It requires you to predict what other road users will do and get ready to react to something unexpected. When alcohol is consumed, it enters your bloodstream and acts as a depressant （抑制药），damaging eyesight, judgment and co-ordination （协调），slowing down reaction time and greatly increasing the risk of accidents. Even below the drink driving limit, driving will be affected.
…
56. The first paragraph is mainly about_____________.
A. the introductions of driving skills B. the damage of drinking to your body
C. the effect of drinking on driving D. the process of alcohol being absorbed

3
Getting rid of dirt, in the opinion of most people, is a good thing. However, there is nothing fixed about attitudes to dirt.
In the early 16th century, people thought that dirt on the skin was a means to block out disease, as medical opinion had it that washing off dirt with hot water could open up the skin and let ills in. A particular danger was thought to lie in public baths. By 1538, the French king had closed the bath houses in his kingdom. So did the king of England in 1546. Thus began a long time when the rich and the poor in Europe lived with dirt in a friendly way. Henry IV, King of France, was famously dirty. Upon learning that a nobleman had taken a bath, the king ordered that, to avoid the attack of disease, the nobleman should not go out.
Though the belief in the merit of dirt was long-lived, dirt has no longer been regarded as a nice neighbor ever since the 18th century. Scientifically speaking, cleaning away dirt is good to health. Clean water supply and hand washing are practical means of preventing disease. Yet, it seems that standards of cleanliness have moved beyond science since World War Ⅱ. Advertisements repeatedly sell the idea: clothes need to be whiter than white, cloths ever softer, surfaces to shine. Has the hate for dirt, however, gone too far?
Attitudes to dirt still differ hugely nowadays. Many first-time parents nervously try to warn their children off touching dirt, which might be responsible for the spread of disease. On the contrary, Mary Rosebush, an American immunologist(免疫学家)，encourages children to play in the dirt to build up a strong immune system. And the latter position is gaining some ground.
67. What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?
A. To stress the role of dirt. B. To introduce the history of dirt.
C. To call attention to the danger of dirt. D. To present the change of views on dirt.
4
They are the sort of friends who are so close they trust each other with their lives. If one fails the other is there to catch him.
They are Wellman, whose legs were permanently injured nine years ago in a rock-climbing accident, and Corbett, an experienced rock climber. Together, they climbed up Half Dome, the famous 2,000-foot rock in the Yosemite National Park, through one of the most different routes.
During the climb, Corbett took the lead, hit in the metal spikes（尖状物）that guided the ropes and climbed up. Then, after Wellman pulled himself up the rope, Corbett went down to remove the spikes and climbed up again. This process was repeated time and again, inch by inch, for 13 days. Wellman’s job was not easy either. He got himself up the rope through upper body strength alone. In all, Wellman figured that he had done 5,000 pull-ups up the rope on the climb.
However, when the two men first met, they never talked about climbing. “He knew that was how I got injured.” Wellman said. Until one day Wellman decided that he wanted to climb again and they started training.
Their climb of half dome was not all smooth. At one point, pieces of rock gave way, and Corbett dropped down quickly. Wellman locked their rope in place, stopping the fall at 20 feet. His quick action probably saved his friend’s life.
“Your partner can save your life --- you can save your partner’s life,” Wellman said as the pair received congratulations from friends. “There are real close ties.”
67. The main idea of the text is that__
A. two beads are better than one B. friendship is precious in life
C. the disabled should never give up D. a man can be destroyed but cannot be defeated

5
Blind imitation (模仿) is self-destruction. To those who do not recognize their unique worth, imitation appears attractive; to those who know their strength, imitation is unacceptable.
In the early stages of skill or character development, imitation is helpful. When I first learned to cook, I used recipes (菜谱) and turned out some tasty dishes. But soon I grew bored. Why follow someone else's way of cooking when I could create my own? Imitating role models is like using training wheels on a child's bicycle; they help you get going, but once you find your own balance, you fly faster and farther without relying on them.
In daily life, imitation can hurt us if we subconsciously (下意识地) hold poor role models. If, as a child, you observed people whose lives were bad, you may have accepted their fear and pain as normal and gone on to follow what they did. If you do not make strong choices for yourself, you will get the results of the weak choices of others.
In the field of entertainment, our culture glorifies（颂扬）celebrities. Those stars look great on screen. But when they step off screen, their personal lives may be disastrous. If you are going to follow someone, focus on their talent, not their bad character or unacceptable behaviors.
Blessed is the person willing to act on their sudden desire to create something unique. Think of the movies, books, teachers, and friends that have affected you most deeply. They touched you because their creations were motivated by inspiration, not desperation. The world is changed not by those who do what has been done before them, but by those who do what has been done inside them. Creative people have an endless resource of ideas. The problem a creator faces is not running out of material; it is what to do with the material knocking at the door of imagination.
Study your role models, accept the gifts they have given, and leave behind what does not serve you. Then you can say, “I stand on the shoulders of my ancestors' tragedies and declare victory, and know that they are cheering me on.”
55. What is the author's purpose in writing this passage?
A. To highlight the importance of creativity.
B. To criticize the characters of role models.
C. To compare imitation with creation.
D. To explain the meaning of success.

三、揣测目的（作者意图类）
Identify whether the aims below are objective（客观的）or subjective（主观的）
（1）to introduce ( )
（2）to encourage ( )
（3）to explain ( )
（4）to inspire ( )
（5）to persuade ( )
（6）to describe ( )
（7）to blame ( )
（8）to show ( )
（9）to warn ( )
（10）to advocate ( )

A
Two talented Sheffield High School pupils have just found out they’ve been shortlisted in the top five of their categories in the new national Ambition AXA Awards.
…
The Ambition Award for the Arts is awarded to a young person who dreams of reaching the top in their field. Clare is a remarkable musician who has already, at the age of fifteen, achieved the highest marks ever seen at SHS for grade 8 violin and viola. Clare’s music teacher Val Linnemann says of Clare, “To me, one of the most outstanding things about Clare is her total willingness to listen and ask intelligent questions. She is patient and good-natured and willing to help with other players.” If she were to receive an Ambition Award, Clare has plans to use this money to enhance (增加) opportunities for others through workshops.
If they get enough votes, they’ll make the top three in the country and be one step further towards the top awards. To vote for them, click on this link.
62. The main purpose of the passage is ________.
A. to introduce the Ambition AXA Awards B. to tell us what the two girls have done
C. to persuade us to vote for the two girls D. to inspire more people to win the awards


B
How should one invest a sum of money in these days of inflation(通货膨胀)? Left in a bank it will hardly keep its value, however high the interest rate. Only a brave man, or a very rich one, dares to buy and sell on the Stock Market. Today it seems that one of the best ways to protect your savings, and even increase your wealth is to buy beautiful objects from the past. Here I am going to offer some advice on collecting antique clocks, which I personally consider are among the most interesting of antiques.
… They … invented water-clocks. Indeed, any serious students of antique should spend as much time as possible visiting palaces, stately homes and museums to see some of the finest examples of clocks from the past.
Antique clocks could be very expensive, but one of the joys of collecting clocks is that it is still possible to find quite cheap ones for your own home. After all, if you are going to be ruled by time, why not invest in air antique clock and perhaps make a future profit?
66. The purpose of the passage is _____________.
A. to introduce the culture of antique clocks.
B. to offer some advice on collecting antique clocks
C. to compare different ways to make a future profit
D. to explain convenient and reliable ways of telling time

四、我的考题我做主（标题类）
A
Researchers at the University of Kansas say that people can accurately judge 90 percent of a stranger's personality simply by looking at the person's shoes.
"Shoes convey a thin but useful slice of information about their wearers," the authors wrote in the new study published in the Journal of Research in Personality. "Shoes serve a practical purpose, and also serve as nonverbal cues with symbolic messages. People tend to pay attention to the shoes they and others wear."
…
So, what do your shoes say about your personality?
Some of the results were expected: People with higher incomes most commonly wore expensive shoes, and flashier footwear was typically worn by extroverts.
There was even a political calculation in the mix with more liberal types wearing "shabbier and less expensive" shoes.
The researchers noted that some people will choose shoe styles to mask their actual personality traits, but researchers noted that volunteers were also likely to be unaware that their footwear choices were revealing deep insights into their personalities.

59. What can be the best title for this article?
A. Shoes and Incomes B. Judging One’s Personality
C. Shoes and One’s Personality D. How to Choose Suitable Shoes


B
Imagine，one day，getting out of bed in Beijing and being at your office in Shanghai in only a couple of hours，and then，after a full day of work，going back home to Beijing and having dinner there．
Sounds unusual，doesn't it? But it's not that unrealistic，with the development of China’s high—speed railway system．And that’s not a11．China has an even greater high—speed railway plan—to connect the country with Southeast Asia，and eventually Eastern Europe．
China is negotiating to extend its own high•-speed railway network to up to 17 countries in 10 to 15 years，eventually reaching London and Singapore．
China has proposed three such projects．The first would possibly connect Kunming with Singapore via Vietnam and Malaysia．Another could start in Urumqi and go through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan，and possibly
to Germany．The third would start in the northeast and go north through Russia and then into Western Europe．
If China’s plan for the high-speed railway goes forward，people could zip over from London to Beijing in under two days．
The new system would still follow China’s high—speed railway standard．And the trains would be able to go 346 kilometers an hour，almost as fast as some airplanes．
China’s bullet train(高速客车)，the one connecting Wuhan to Guangzhou，already has the
World’s fastest average speed．It covers 1,069 kilometers in about three hours．
Of course，there are some technical challenges to overcome．There are so many issues that need to be settled，such as safety，rail gauge(轨距)，maintenance of railway tracks．So，it’s important to pay attention to every detail．
But the key issue is really money．China is already spending hundreds of billions of yuan on
domestic railway expansion．
China prefers that the other countries pay in natural resources rath er than with capital
investment．Resources from those countries could stream into China to sustain development．
It’11 be a win-win project. For other countries，the railway network will definitely create more opportunities for business，tourism and so on，not to mention the better communication among those counties．
For China，such a project would not only connect it with the rest of Asia and bring some much-needed resources，but would also help develop China’s far west．We foresee that in the coming decades，millions of people will migrate to the western regions，where the land is empty and resources unused．With high-speed trains，people will set up factories and business centers in the west once and for a11．And they’11 trade with Central Asian and Eastern European countries．
70．Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?

（正确）A._______________________

（错误）B. _______________________

（错误）C. _______________________

（错误）D. _______________________


五、真题体验
A
Since the 1970s, scientists have been searching for ways to link the brain with computers. Brain-computer interface (BCI) technology could help people with disabilities send commands to machines.
Recently, two researchers, Jose Millan and Michele Tavella from the Federal Polytechnic school in Lausanne, Switzerland, demonstrated（展示）a small robotic wheelchair directed by a person’s thoughts.
In the laboratory, Tavella operated the wheelchair just by thinking about moving his left or right band. He could even talk as he watched the vehicle and guided it with his thoughts.
“Our brain has billions of nerve ceils. These send signals through the spinal cord （脊髓）to the muscles to give us the ability to move. But spinal cord injuries or other conditions can prevent these weak electrical signals from reaching the muscles,” Tavella says. “Our system allows disabled people to communicate with external world and also to control devices.”
The researchers designed a special cap for the user. This head cover picks up the signals from the scalp(头皮) and sends them to a computer. The computer interprets the signals and commands the motorized wheelchair. The wheelchair also has two cameras that identify objects in its path. They help the computer react to commands from the brain.
Prof. Millan, the team leader, says scientists keep improving the computer software that interprets brain signals and turns them into simple commands. “The practical possibilities that BCI technology offers to disabled people can be grouped in two categories: communication, and controlling devices. One example is this wheelchair.”
He says his team has set two goals. One is testing with real patients, so as to prove that this is a technology they can benefit from. And the other is to guarantee that they can use the technology over long periods of time.
75. Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
A. Switzerland, the BCI Research Center
B. New Findings about How the Human B rain Works
C. BCI Could Mean More Freedom for the Disabled
D. Robotic Vehicles Could Help to Cure Brain Injuries

B
“Experience may possibly be the best teacher, but it is not a particularly good teacher.” You might think that Winston Churchill or perhaps Mark Twain spoke those words, but they actually come from James March, a professor at Stanford University and a pioneer in the field of organizational decision making. For years March( possibly be wisest philosopher of management) has studied how humans think and act, and he continues to do so in his new book The Ambiguities of Experience.
He begins by reminding us of just how firmly we have been sticking to the idea of experiential learning :“Experience is respected；experience is sought；experience is explained.” The problem is that learning from experience involves（涉及） serious complications（复杂化），ones that are part of the nature of experience itself and which March discusses in the body of this book.
In one interesting part of book，for example，he turns a double eye toward the use of stories as the most effective way of experiential learning. He says “The more accurately（精确的）reality is presented，the less understandable the story，and the more understandable the story, the less realistic it is.”
Besides being a broadly knowledgeable researcher. March is also a poet, and his gift shines though in the depth of views he offers and the simple language he uses. Though the book is short, it is demanding: Don’t pick it up looking for quick, easy lessons. Rather, be ready to think deeply about learning from experience in work and life.
56. What’s the purpose of this text?
A. To introduce a book. B. To describe a researcher.
C. To explain experiential learning. D. To discuss organizational decision making.

C
In the animal kingdom, weakness can bring about aggression in other animal. This sometimes happens with humans also. But I have found that my weakness brings out the kindness in people. I see it every day when people hold doors for me, pour cream into my coffee, or help me to put on my coat. And I have discovered that it makes them happy.
From my wheelchair experience, I see the best in people, bur sometimes I feel sad because those who appear independent miss the kindness I see daily. They don’t get to see this soft side of others often; we try every way possible to avoid showing our weakness, which includes a lot of pretending. But only when we stop pretending we’re brave or strong do we allow people to show the kindness that’s in them.
Last month, when I was driving home on a busy highway, I began to feel unwell and drove more slowly than usual. People behind me began to get impatient and angry, with some speeding up alongside me, horning (按喇叭) or even shouting at me. At the moment I decided to do something I had never done in twenty fore years of driving. I put on the car flashlights and drove on at a really low speed.
No more angry shouts and no more horns!
When I put on my flashlights, I was saying to other drivers, “I have a problem here. I am weak and doing the best I can.” And everyone understood. Several times, I saw drivers who wanted to pass. They couldn’t get around me because of the stream of passing traffic. But instead of getting impatient and angry, they waited, knowing the driver in front of them was in some way weak.
Sometimes situations call for us to act strong and brave even when we don’t feel that way. But those are and far between. More often, it would be better if we don’t pretend we feel strong when we feel weak or pretend that we are brave when we are scared.
30. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
A. A Wheelchair Experience. B. Weakness and Kindness.
C. Weakness and Strength D. A Driving Experience

D
In a world with limited land, water and other natural resources (资源), the harm from the traditional business model is on the rise. Actually, the past decades has seen more and more forests disappearing and globe becoming increasingly warm. People now realize that this unhealthy situation must be changed, and that we must be able to develop in sustainable (可持续的) ways. That means growth with low carbon or development of sustainable products. In other words, we should keep the earth healthy while using its supply of natural resources.
Today, sustainable development is a proper trend in many countries. According to a recent study, the global market for low-carbon energy will become three times bigger over the next decades. China, for example, has set its mind on leading that market, hoping to seize chances in the new round of the global energy revolution. It is now trying ha rd to make full use of wind and solar energy, and is spending a huge amount of money making electric cars and high-speed trains. In addition, we are also seeing great growth in the global markets for sustainable products such as palm oil (棕榈油)，which is produced without cutting down valuable rainforest. In recent years the markets for sustainable products have grown by more than 50%.
Governments can fully develop the potential of these new markets. First, they can set high targets for reducing carbon emissions (排放) and targets for saving and reusing energy. Besides, stronger arrangement of public resources like forests can also help to speed up the development. Finally, governments can avoid the huge expenses that are taking us in the wrong direction, and redirecting some of those expenses can accelerate the change from traditional model to a sustainable one.
The major challenge of this century is to find ways to meet the needs of growing population within the limits if this single planet. That is no small task, but it offers abundant new chances for sustainable product industries.
45. What is the main purpose of the passage?
A. To introduce a new business model. B. To compare two business models.
C. To predict a change of the global market. D. To advocate sustainable development.

E
The garden city was largely the invention of Ebenezer Howard (1850-1928). After immigrating form England to the USA, and an unsuccessful attempt to make a living as a farmer, he moved to Chicago, where he saw the reconstruction of the city after the disastrous fire of 1871. In those days, it was nicknamed “the Garden City”, almost certainly the source of Howard’s name for his later building plan of towns. Returning to London, Howard developed his design in the 1880s and 1890s, drawing on ideas that were popular at the time, but creating a unique combination of designs.
The nineteenth-century poor city was in many ways a terrible place, dirty and crowded; but it offered economic and social opportunities. At the same time, the British countryside was in fact equally unattractive: though it promised fresh air and nature, it suffered from agricultural depression(萧条) and it offered neither enough work and wages, nor much social life. Howard’s idea was to combine the best of town and country in a new kind of settlement, the garden city. Howard’s idea was that a group of people should set up a company, borrowing money to establish a garden city in the depressed countryside; far enough from existing cities to make sure that the land was bought at the bottom price.
Garden cities would provide a central public open space, radial avenues and connecting industries. They would be surrounded by a much larger area of green belt, also owned by the company, containing not merely farms but also some industrial institutions. As more and more people moved in, the garden city would reach its planned limit-Howard suggested 32,000 people; then, another would be started a short distance away. Thus, over time, there would develop a vast planned house collection, extending almost without limit; within it, each garden city would offer a wide range of jobs and services, but each would also be connected to the others by a rapid transportation system, thus giving all the economic and social opportunities of a big city.
70. What could be the best title for the passage?
A. City and Countryside B. The Invention of the Garden City
C. A New City in Chicago D. A Famous Garden City in England