Question

阅读下列短文 ，从每题所给的四个选项 （A、B、C、和D）中 ，选出最佳选项。

What is time? Is it a thing to be saved or spent or wasted, like money? Or is it something we have no control over, like the weather? Is time the same all over the world?

That's an easy question, you say. Wherever you go, a minute is 60 seconds, an hour is 60 minutes, a day is 24 hours, and so forth. But in America, time is more than that. Americans see time as a valuable resource. Maybe that's why they are fond of the expression, "Time is money."

Because Americans believe time is a limited resource, they try to conserve and manage it. People in the U.S. often attend seminars or read books on time management. It seems they all want to organize their time better. Professionals carry around pocket planners — some in electronic form — to keep track of appointments and deadlines. People do all they can to squeeze more time out of their time. The early American hero Benjamin Franklin expressed this view best: "Do you love life? Then do not waste time, for that is the stuff life is made of."

To Americans, punctuality is a way of showing respect for other people's time. Being more than 10 minutes late to an appointment usually calls for an apology and an explanation. People who are running late often call ahead to let others know of the delay. Of course, the less formal the situation is, the less important it is to be exactly on time. At informal get-togethers, for example, people often arrive as much as 30 minutes past the appointed time.

To outsiders, Americans seem tied to the clock. People in other cultures value relationships more than schedules. In these societies, people don't try to control time, but to experience it. Even Americans would admit that no one can master time. Time — like money — slips all too easily through our fingers. And time — like the weather — is very hard to predict. Nevertheless, time is one of life's most precious gifts. And unwrapping it is half the fun.

1.What’s the main topic of this passage?

A. What is time?              B. Time among Americans.

C. Make good use of time.      D. How to control time?

2.What’s the meaning of the underlined word “conserve”?

A. protect                    B. develop

C. produce                   D. assist

3.The sentence "Americans seem tied to the clock" in paragraph 5 probably means ________.

A. Americans often carry a clock with them.

B. Americans can take control over time.

C. Americans often make full use of time.

D. Americans can not predict the time.

4.We can safely draw a conclusion from this passage that _________.

A. Americans have more time than others

B. by using pocket planners, people can have more time

C. for informal meeting, Americans often arrive 30 minutes earlier

D. Americans often attend seminars, because they want to use time better

Answer

1.B

2.A

3.C

4.D

【解析】

试题分析: 本文主要以美国人为例子，向我们重申了时间的重要性。对有些人来说，时间就是像钱一样是用来花费的东西；对有些人来讲，时间是像天气一样，不可掌控；可是对美国人来讲，时间却是一种十分宝贵的资源。

1.B 主旨大意题。本文主要讲的是美国人对待时间的态度，并且着重从美国人特别尊重他人的时间这一方面来说明，故选B项。

2.A 词义猜测题。根据第三段提到Because Americans believe time is a limited resource, they try to conserve and manage it.美国人认为时间是一项有限的资源，所以他们试着去保存时间并加以管理，故A项protect与其意义最接近。

3.C 推理判断题。根据第五段提到To outsiders, Americans seem tied to the clock.可知，对外人而言,美国人似乎很依赖时钟，也就是美国人很珍惜时间，总是要充分利用时间，故选C项。

4.D 推理判断题。根据第三段提到People in the U.S. often attend seminars or read books on time management. It seems they all want to organize their time better.可知，美国人经常参加有关时间管理的研习会或阅读这方面的书籍,他们似乎都希望能把自己的时间安排得更好，故选D项。

考点：文化类阅读。