2014年职称英语考试理工类B级阅读理解C

　　The English Weather

　　"Other countries have a climate; in England we have weather". This statement, often made by Englishmen to describe the strange weather conditions of their country, is both revealing and true. It is revealing, because in it we see the Englishman insisting once again that what happens in England is not the same as what happens elsewhere; its truth can be proved by any foreigner who stays in the country for longer than a few days.

　　In no country other than England, it has been said, can one experience four seasons in the course of a single day! Day may break as a warm spring morning; an hour or so later black clouds may have appeared from nowhere and the rain may be pouring down. At midday it may be really winter with the temperature down by about eight degrees or more centigrade (摄氏度). And then, in the late afternoon the sky will clear, the sun will begin to shine, and for an hour or two before darkness falls, it will be summer.

　　In England one can experience almost every kind of weather except the most extreme. (Some foreigners seem to be under the impression that for ten months of the year the country is covered by a dense blanket of fog; this is not true.) The problem is that we never can be sure when the different types of weather will occur. Not only do we get several different sorts of weather in one day, but we may very well get a spell (持续的一段时间) of winter in summer and a spell of summer in winter.

　　The uncertainty about the weather has had a definite effect upon the Englishman's character; it tends to make him cautious (小心谨慎的), for example. The foreigner may laugh when he sees the Englishman setting forth on a brilliantly sunny morning wearing a raincoat and carrying an umbrella, but he may well regret his laughter later in the day!

　　And, of course, the weather's variety provides a constant topic of conversation. Even the most taciturn (沉默寡言的) of Englishmen is always prepared to discuss the weather. And, though he sometimes complains bitterly of it, he would not, even if he could, exchange it for the more predictable climate of other lands.

　　36 "Other countries have a climate; in England we have weather". This statement suggests that

　　A　other countries do not have fine weather.

　　B　you cannot experience four seasons in a year in England.

　　C　the weather in England often changes and is therefore unique.

　　D　the weather in England never changes.

　　37 A special feature of the weather in England is that

　　A　you can experience four seasons every day throughout the year.

　　B　it does not have four seasons as other countries do.

　　C　winter there is the coldest in the world.

　　D　you may experience different types of weather in a single day.

　　38 What makes the Englishman cautious, according to the passages?

　　A　The foreigner, slaughter.

　　B　The cold weather in winter.

　　C　The uncertainty about the weather.

　　D　The predictable climate.

　　39 Which of the following statements is NOT true of the weather in England?

　　A　England is covered by heavy fog for ten months of the year.

　　B　It tends to make the Englishman cautious.

　　C　One cannot be sure when the different types of weather will occur.

　　D　You may have a spell of winter in summer.

　　40 The word "lands" in the last sentence could best be replaced by

　　A "soil".

　　B "earth".

　　C "countries".

　　D "parts".

　　答案：

　　36. C　　37. D　　38. C　　39. A　　40. C

　　36.C the weather in England often changes and is therefore unique. 其它国家拥有气候;英格兰拥有天气。这里指的是大多数国家有气候的变化，而英格兰有的只是天气的变化。英格兰的天气变化是在世界有名的。四个选项中只有C选项最符合选项的大意。

　　37. D　you may experience different types of weather in a single day.第一段中：In no country other than England, it has been said, can one experience four seasons in the course of a single day!告诉我们在一天中，你可能会经历四种天气。与选项中的不同的天气类型相一致。

　　38. C　The uncertainty about the weather.第四段中：The uncertainty about the weather has had a definite effect upon the Englishman's character; it tends to make him cautious (小心谨慎的), for example.

　　39. A　England is covered by heavy fog for ten months of the year.第三段中：Some foreigners seem to be under the impression that for ten months of the year the country is covered by a dense blanket of fog; this is not true.

　　40. C "countries".全文都在谈英格兰与其他国家的天气变化的对比。所以推测这里指的是国家。