限时训练(九)Ⅰ.阅读理解A话题：书店难度：★ABriefHistoryofWaterstone’sWaterstone’sisthelargestbookstorechainintheUKandIreland，with296storesand4,500employees，butitsmarketsharehasrecentlydeclinedandsaleshavebeenpoor.Thebookmarketsufferedduringtheeconomydeclinesandtheemergenceofnewe-readers，suchastheAmazonKindle，waspullingmorecustomersawayfromthehighstreet.A&NNwillpayforWaterstone’sintwoparts，oneof￡40millionandoneof￡13million.ThedealwillonlycompleteifHMVcanrenegotiateitsbankfacilities，thoughHMVsaysthebanksaresupportiveofthesale.Pensiontrusteesandthepensionsregulatoralsohavetoapprove.HMVchiefexecutiveSimonFoxsaidA&NNwouldbeagoodhomeforWaterstone’s，whilethesalewillreduceborrowingsandenableHMVtofocusonplansfortransformingthebusinessintoabroad-basedentertainmentbusiness.A&NNwillappointJamesDauntasmanagingdirectorofWaterstone’soncethedealcompletes.MrDauntcurrentlyrunsDauntBooks，asmallchainofLondon-basedbookshopshefoundedin1990.Waterstone’sfounderTimWaterstoneopenedhisfirststorein1982atatimewhenfellowbookloverswerepresentedwithfewoptionsonthehighstreet.ThetopbooksellerwasWHSmith，MrWaterstone’sformeremployerofeightyearsbeforehewasdismissed，whichhefeltwasfailingtogointoabroadmarketofliteraturefans.ThefirststorewasopenedinOldBromptonRoad，andtheformerbanker’sintuitionwascorrectasthechainwentfromstrengthtostrength.MrWaterstone，whohaswrittenfournovels，sawarecoveryinthemarketdrivenbydemandfortheworksofanewwaveofliterarystarsincludingSalmanRushdie，IanMcEwan，JohnBanvilleandMartinAmis.Havingfoundedthefirmwithhis￡6,000，MrWaterstonesoldthechaintohisformeremployerWHSmithin1993for￡47million.语篇解读本文讲述了连锁书店Waterstone’s的变迁。1.Accordingtothepassage，whoisthemostlikelytobethemanagingdirectorofWaterstone’sinthenearfuture?A.MrWaterstone.B.JohnBanville.C.JamesDaunt.D.SimonFox.答案C解析细节理解题。根据第五段第一句“A&NNwillappointJamesDauntasmanagingdirectorofWaterstone’soncethedealcompletes.”可知C项正确。2.Whatdoestheunderlinedword“intuition”meaninthepassage?A.Instinctiveknowledge.B.Mentalimage.C.Calmconsideration.D.Indirectsuggestion.答案A解析词义猜测题。根据intuition所在的段落中的“asthechainwentfromstrengthtostrength”以及全文语境可知intuition表示的是银行家的“直觉”，故选A项。B话题：失眠难度：★★AnewstudyfromtheUniversityofPennsylvaniaSchoolofMedicinesuggeststhatgettingoutofbedwhenyoucan’tsleepmightpreventyoursleeplessnightfrombecomingchronicinsomnia(慢性失眠).Aftermonitoringthesesleephabitsof416participantsforoneyear，researchersfoundthatnightowlswhorestrictedtheirtimeinbedweremorelikelytosleepsoundlyoncetheydidfallasleep.Thosewhoremainedinbedwhentheycouldn’tsleep，ontheotherhand，weremorelikelytodevelopchronicinsomnia.Whilethisadvicemayseemcounterintuitiveatfirst，itmakessenseonceyouunderstandwhatcausesyoursleeplessness.“Thosewithinsomniatypicallyextendtheirsleepopportunity，”saidMichaelPerlis，PhD.“Theygotobedearly，getoutofbedlate，andtheynap.Whilethisseemsareasonablethingtodo，andmaywellbeintheshortterm，theprobleminthelongertermisthatitcreatesamismatchbetweentheindividual’scurrentsleepabilityandtheircurrentsleepopportunity；thisfuelsinsomnia.”Theseseeminglyharmlesshabitscouldbecausingyourinsomnia，too.“Soifyou’restrugglingtofallasleepatnight，trygettingoutofbedandusingthattimetoreadabookorwriteinajournal.Notonlycouldyoufallasleepinju...
