Question

Every morning,many girls in the African country of Zimbabwe rise with the sun and go to fetch water

for their families.They have to walk many miles an carry the water home on their heads. Where they live,there is no running water they can get at all.

     “You have to relax your neck and head and make it follow the load(负荷)，”one girl told me ,“It is easy for you to do that if you practice for many times.” I have lived in Zimbabwe all my life.But I had never tried to balance a pot on my head.I have made efforts many times and I have also practiced it for long.But it was not east at all.I managed to walk only several yards before the pot fell off my head.The girls watching covered their mouths and laughed at my poor head-balancing skills.

     In reality,water is not the only thing that requires head-balancing skills in everyday life.In most of these villages,there is no electricity for cooking,so fire wood is used instead.The girls must collect and carry it back to their villages.They insist the easiest way to do this is on their heads.

     Even at school,head-balancing skills come in handy.At a school,I saw a group of girls fetching bags of sand that were to be used to build a new classroom.They carried these bags with ease.When I tried,I could not beat the weight.

     Girls in many countries worldwide prefer to carry things on their heads.They are taught this skill at a young age and grow up to have strong necks and great posture.For these girls,balance is simply a way of life.

1.According to the text,Zimbabwe girls _______.

A. go to fetch running water for money

B. catty water every evening

C. do pleasant jobs in their family

D. like carrying things on their heads

2.To get the head-balancing ability,a girl should _______.

A. have a short neck    B. take a light load    C. practice many times    D. cover her mouth

3.Why do the girls have good head-balancing skills?

A. Their necks are strong and their heads are round.

B. They are farced to carry things on their heads.

C. They find no other ways to carry things.

D. They have learned them since they were young.

4.What is the best title of the text?

A. A special living ability

B. Girl’s head-balancing skill

C. Carrying things from far away

D. Using our heads in different ways

Answer

1.D

2.C

3.D

4.B

【解析】本文为介绍说明文。文章主要介绍了津巴布韦女孩子都有着高超的头部平衡技能，她们基本上都是用头携带物品，而这项技能是作者望洋兴叹的。

1.推理判断题。根据文章对津巴布韦女孩子们携带东西的方式的描述及第三段最后一句They insist the easiest way to do this is on their heads.（她们认为做这件事最容易的方式就是放在头顶上）可推知，津巴布韦的女孩子们喜欢用头携带物品。故选D。

2.细节理解题。根据第二段中的It is easy for you to do that if you practice for many times可知，用头携带物品需要的平衡性需要通过很多次的训练得来。故选C。

3.细节理解题。根据最后一段中的Girls in many countries worldwide prefer to carry things on their heads.They are taught this skill at a young age and grow up to have strong necks and great posture.可知，女孩子们有很好的头部平衡技能，是因为从很小的时候就被传授了这项技能。故选D。

4.标题归纳题。通读全文可知，本文主要介绍了津巴布韦女孩子们的头部平衡技能。故选B。