Question

B

It happened to me recently. I was telling someone how much I had enjoyed reading Barack Obama’s Dreams From My Father and how it had changed my views of our President. A friend I was talking to agreed with me that it was, in his words, “a brilliantly written book”. However, he then went on to talk about Mr. Obama in a way which suggested he had no idea of his background at all. I sensed that I was talking to a book liar.

And it seems that my friend is not the only one. Approximately two thirds of people have lied about reading a book which they haven’t. In the World Book Day’s “Report on Guilty Secrets”, Dreams From My Father is at number 9. The report lists ten books, and various authors, which people have lied about reading, and as I’m not one to lie too often (I’d hate to be caught out), I’ll admit here and now that I haven’t read the entire top ten. But I am pleased to say that, unlike 42 percent of people, I have read the book at number one, George Orwell’s 1984. I think it’s really brilliant.

The World Book Day report also has some other interesting information in it. It says that many people lie about having read Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Fyodor Dostoevsky (I haven’t read him, but haven’t lied about it either) and Herman Melville.

Asked why they lied, the most common reason was to “impress” someone they were speaking to. This could be tricky if the conversation became more in–depth!

But when asked which authors they actually enjoy, people named J. K. Rowling, John Grisham, Sophie Kinsella (ah, the big sellers, in other words). Forty-two percent of people asked admitted they turned to the back of the book to read the end before finishing the story (I’ll come clean: I do this and am astonished that 58 percent said they had never done so).

1.What is the meaning of the underlined word “l(fā)iar”?

A. A person who hates books.

B. A person who tells lies.

C. A person who loves reading.

D. A person who is honest with everything.

2.From the second paragraph we can know _____.

A. only 42 percent of people have read George Orwell’s 1984

B. two thirds of people haven’t read a book.

C. “Dreams From My Father” is listed the first of the top ten books

D. the writer haven’t read all of the top ten books

3.Why does a person lie about books?

A. Because they want to appear learned.

B. Because they want to attract others’ attention.

C. Because they do so out of habit.

D. Because they want to play tricks on others.

4.Which of the following statement is right?

A. The writer often leaves a book unfinished.

B. The writer was once caught out for telling lies.

C. The writer often reads the end of a book first before finishing the story.

D. The writer likes Barack Obama from the very beginning.

5.What do you think of the author?

A. Thoughtful and talkative.

B. Smart and helpful.

C. knowledgeable and experienced.

D. Wise and honest.

Answer 1

1.B

2.D

3.A

4.C

5.D

【解析】

文章大意：作者在文中介紹了一種人：a book liar。他們往往裝作很有學(xué)識(shí)，別人談?wù)撌裁磿�，他們都說自己讀過，而且不喜歡被別人知道自己往往在沒讀完前先看結(jié)尾。

1.B 詞義猜測(cè)題。根據(jù)上文內(nèi)容可知和作者談話的朋友沒有讀過Dreams From My Father這本書，他是在撒謊，而且第二段And it seems that my friend is not the only one. Approximately two thirds of people have lied about reading a book which they haven’t也是提示信息，選B。

2.D細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)第二段I’ll admit here and now that I haven’t read the entire top ten.和I have read the book at number one可知作者沒有都讀過排前十名的本，選D。

3.A推理判斷題。根據(jù)文章第四段Asked why they lied, the most common reason was to “impress” someone they were speaking to.可知人們?nèi)鲋e讀過書的原因是他們想顯的有學(xué)識(shí)，選A。

4.C細(xì)節(jié)理解題。由文章末段Forty-two percent of people asked admitted they turned to the back of the book to read the end before finishing the story (I’ll come clean: I do this).可知作者常常先讀故事的結(jié)尾，選C。

5.

考點(diǎn)：考查文化類短文閱讀