Question

American author Mark Twain once noted that “life would be surely happier if we could only be born at the age of 80 and gradually approach 18.” Twain’s words were only one of many complaints about aging. The ancient Greek poet Homer called old age “hateful”, and William Shakespeare termed it “terrible winter”.

  Alexander the Great, who conquered most of the known world before he died around 323 B.C., may have been looking for a river that healed the ravages of age. During the 12th century A.D., a king called Prester John ruled a land that had a river of gold and a fountain of youth.

  But the name linked most closely to the search for a fountain of youth is 16th-century Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon. He thought it would be found in Florida. In St. Augustine, the oldest city in the U.S., there’s a tourist attraction. It is said to be the fountain of youth that Ponce de Leon discovered soon after he arrived in what is now Florida in 1513. However, elderly visitors who drink the spring’s water don’t turn into teenagers.

  But the tale of the search for a fountain of youth is so appealing that it survives anyway, says Ryan K. Smith, a professor of history. “People are more attracted by the story of looking and not finding than they are by the idea that the fountain might be out there somewhere.”

  Still, a few grains of truth have helped to support the story. Kathleen Deagan, a professor of archaeology, says a graveyard and the remains of a Spanish mission dating back to St. Augustine’s founding in 1565 have been discovered near the so-called fountain of youth. Michelle Reyna, a spokesperson for the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park in St. Augustine, says the fountain has been a tourist attraction since at least 1901 and may have been attracting visitors since 1860.

1.According to the passage, who searched for a fountain of youth_________?

A. Ponce de Leon       B. William Shakespeare.

C. Kathleen Deagan     D. Michelle Reyna

2.What does the underlined word “ravages” in the second paragraph probably mean_______?

A. Growth        B. Limits C. Damages D. Benefits

3.What is the attitude of people towards the fountain of youth________?

A. People find much pleasure in looking for it.

B. People believe the existence of it somewhere.

C. People have no interest in searching for it.

D. People consider the idea of the fountain of youth absurd.

4.The passage mainly tells us ________.

A. how the fountain of youth came into being 

B. why some famous people hate becoming old

C. how to remain young forever

D. whether the fountain of youth exists

5.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage_________?

A. The underlined words “the story” refers to Alexander the Great ruling a land that had a river of gold and a fountain of youth.

B. Augustine, which is the oldest city in the U.S, lies in Florida.

C. Some elderly visitors find themselves younger after drinking the water from the fountain of youth.

D. Kathleen Deagan is the spokesperson for the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park.  

Answer

1.A

2.C

3.A

4.D

5.B

【解析】

试题分析：美国著名作家马克吐温曾说过“如果我们能够从80岁出生，然后逐渐长到18岁，这样会更快乐一些”，对衰老抱有怨言的还有古希腊诗人荷马、莎士比亚等。

1.But the name linked most closely to the search for a fountain of youth is 16th-century Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon.”可知，西班牙探险家Juan Ponce de Leon曾经寻找过长生不老的方法，故选A。

2.a river that healed the ravages of age能够治愈衰老的一条河，the ravages of age指的是年龄的衰老，ravage意为“破坏”，故选C。

3.People are more attracted by the story of looking and not finding than they are by the idea that the fountain might be out there somewhere.”可知，人们对寻找长生不老的故事更感兴趣，故选A。

4.had a river of gold and a fountain of youth ...However, elderly visitors who drink the spring’s water don’t turn into teenagers. ...Still, a few grains of truth have helped to support the story.”可知，文章主要讲的是长生不老是否真的存在，故选D。

5.In St. Augustine, the oldest city in the U.S., ...he arrived in what is now Florida in 1513”可知，St. Augustine是美国最古老的城市，它位于现在的佛罗里达，故选B。

考点：历史类短文阅读