阅读理解两则

(A)

Books which give instructions on how to do things are very popular in the United States today. They are of great help in everyday life. Thousands of these How to books are on sale; in fact, there are about four thousand books with titles that begin with the words How to. One book may tell you how to earn more money, another may tell you how to save or spend it, and another may explain how to give your money away.

Many How to books give advice on careers. They tell you how to choose a career and how to succeed at it. If you fail, however, you can buy a book called How to Turn Failure into Success. If you would like to become very rich, you can buy the book How to Make a Million. If you never make any money at all, you may need a book called How to Live on Nothing.

One of the most popular types of books is one that helps you with personal problems. If you want to have a better love of life, you can read How to Succeed at Love Every Minute of Your Life. If you are tired of books on happiness, you may prefer a book called How to Make Yourself Miserable.

Many of these books help people use their time better. Some people want books which will give them useful information about sports, hobbies, and travel. Other people use their free time to make repairs and improvements on their homes. They prefer books which give step by step instruction on how to repair things like plumbing (卫生管道工程) and electrical wiring, or on how to redecorate (重新装饰) or enlarge a house.

Why have How to books become so popular? Probably because life has become so complex(复杂). Today people have far more free time to use, more choices to make, and more problems to solve. How to books help people deal with modern life.

1. From the first paragraph, we know How to books are ____.

A. only about 4,000 copies B. on money

C. very helpful D. very expensive

2. From the passage, we know that How to books ____.

A. are everything you require

B. give all kinds of guides helping people get what they want

C. tell people that they may change their thought into reality

D. are full of strange ideas

3. The passage tells us that How to books sell well on how ____.

A. to succeed in careers B. to solve personal problems

C. to deal with business D. to make money

4. Which headline of the following is the best for this passage? ____.

A. How to Books in America

B. How to Books Are Ordinary in America

C. Thousands of How to Books

D. Books with Titles That Begin with the Words How to

(B)

Saturday, May 15 Indias most famous political family is set to return to power after voters(选民) brought out one of the biggest electoral upsets in the countrys history.

On an exciting victory Thursday, Sonia Gandhis Congress Party and its supporters won 279 of the 545 seats in the national parliament（国会）. Loser Atal Behari Vajpayee resigned on Friday after serving as Indias Prime Minister for nearly six years.

The 57-year-old Italian-born Gandhi is expected to become Indias next Prime Minister when party officials meet Saturday to select their leader. Late Thursday, she held a press conference to thank Indian voters for their support.

“Over the next few days, the process of founding the government will gather power,” she said. “We will take the lead, ensure our country has a strong, stable government.”

The Nehru-Gandhi dynasty ruled India for four decades after the nation gained independence from Britain in 1947. Jawaharlal Nehru was Indias first Prime Minister. Sonia Gandhis mother-in-law, Indira, led India from 1966 to 1977 and then again from 1980 to 1984. Her husband, Rajiv, succeeded Indira, serving as Prime Minister until 1989. He was assassinated two years later.

Despite its close ties with Vajpayees government, the Bush administration extended its congratulations to the Congress Party. U.S. officials said they will continue to urge India and Pakistan to work out their differences peacefully. Gandhi reassured the Indian people that the Congress Party would, indeed, continue the peace process begun under Vajpayee.

Indias elections were held in four stages over a three-week period to ensure that the countrys 650 million eligible voters would be able to cast their ballots.

1． Who is expected to be Indias next Prime Minister? ____.

A. Jawaharlal Nehru B. Indira Gandhi

C. Rajiv Gandhi D. Sonia Gandhi

2. Whats Americas attitude towards Indias new government? ____.

A. They expressed their support

B. They go against it

C. They care nothing about it

D. They will continue the peace process

3. The underlined word “resigned” means “____”.

A. signed an agreement B. gave up the position

C. signed an agreement again D. wrote his name

Key(1)