七、阅读与回答问题
“Fall” and “autumn”
What season is it in October? If you ask people from the UK, they will tell you it’s autumn. But if you go to the US, you will find that people use the word “fall” more often.
According to an online dictionary, both words have been around for a long time, but neither of them was first created to describe this season. During this season, crops become ripe (成熟的) and farmers have a big harvest. So in Old English, this season was simply called “harvest”.
Later, more people left their farms and moved to cities. With fewer people farming, the word “harvest” became less useful. English speakers needed a different name for the season. The word “autumn” first came into English in the 1300s, from the Latin word autumnus. Also, people saw leaves fall from trees during the season, so people started calling it “the fall of the leaves”. The phrase was shortened in the 1600s to “fall”. At the same time, people in the UK were making their first trip to North America. They brought the words “fall” and “autumn” there.
We are not sure why the word “fall” is more popular in the US. Maybe it is seen as something related to American national identity (身份).
61. What do most people call the season in October in the UK according to the passage?
62. Why did people call autumn “harvest” in Old English?
63. When did the word “autumn” first come to English?
64. When was the phrase “the fall of the leaves” shortened to “fall”?
65. What’s the passage mainly about?
“Fall” and “autumn”
What season is it in October? If you ask people from the UK, they will tell you it’s autumn. But if you go to the US, you will find that people use the word “fall” more often.
According to an online dictionary, both words have been around for a long time, but neither of them was first created to describe this season. During this season, crops become ripe (成熟的) and farmers have a big harvest. So in Old English, this season was simply called “harvest”.
Later, more people left their farms and moved to cities. With fewer people farming, the word “harvest” became less useful. English speakers needed a different name for the season. The word “autumn” first came into English in the 1300s, from the Latin word autumnus. Also, people saw leaves fall from trees during the season, so people started calling it “the fall of the leaves”. The phrase was shortened in the 1600s to “fall”. At the same time, people in the UK were making their first trip to North America. They brought the words “fall” and “autumn” there.
We are not sure why the word “fall” is more popular in the US. Maybe it is seen as something related to American national identity (身份).
61. What do most people call the season in October in the UK according to the passage?
62. Why did people call autumn “harvest” in Old English?
63. When did the word “autumn” first come to English?
64. When was the phrase “the fall of the leaves” shortened to “fall”?
65. What’s the passage mainly about?
答案：61. Autumn.
62. Because during this season crops become ripe and farmers have a big harvest.
63. In the 1300s.
64. In the 1600s.
65. The history of the names of autumn/fall.
62. Because during this season crops become ripe and farmers have a big harvest.
63. In the 1300s.
64. In the 1600s.
65. The history of the names of autumn/fall.
解析：
【分析】
本题为英语阅读理解的回答问题类题目，解题思路是先通读全文，明确每个问题的核心指向，再精准定位原文对应段落的关键信息，提取符合要求的答案即可。需注意细节题要严格对应原文表述，主旨题需梳理全文核心内容。
【解析】
61. 定位原文第一段：“If you ask people from the UK, they will tell you it’s autumn.”，可知英国人称十月的这个季节为autumn。
62. 定位原文第二段：“During this season, crops become ripe (成熟的) and farmers have a big harvest. So in Old English, this season was simply called “harvest”.”，可知古英语中叫harvest的原因是该季节庄稼成熟，农民大丰收。
63. 定位原文第三段：“The word “autumn” first came into English in the 1300s”，可知autumn首次进入英语的时间是1300年代。
64. 定位原文第三段：“The phrase was shortened in the 1600s to “fall”.”，可知“the fall of the leaves”缩短为“fall”的时间是1600年代。
65. 梳理全文内容，主要围绕autumn和fall这两个表示秋季的词汇的历史展开，因此主旨是秋季名称的历史。
【答案】
61. Autumn.
62. Because during this season crops become ripe and farmers have a big harvest.
63. In the 1300s.
64. In the 1600s.
65. The history of the names of autumn/fall.
【知识点】
英语阅读理解、英语词汇演变、主旨大意概括
【点评】
本题为常规英语阅读题，以细节理解为主，辅以主旨概括，只要能精准定位原文信息即可顺利解答，难度适中。
【难度系数】
0.6
本题为英语阅读理解的回答问题类题目，解题思路是先通读全文，明确每个问题的核心指向，再精准定位原文对应段落的关键信息，提取符合要求的答案即可。需注意细节题要严格对应原文表述，主旨题需梳理全文核心内容。
【解析】
61. 定位原文第一段：“If you ask people from the UK, they will tell you it’s autumn.”，可知英国人称十月的这个季节为autumn。
62. 定位原文第二段：“During this season, crops become ripe (成熟的) and farmers have a big harvest. So in Old English, this season was simply called “harvest”.”，可知古英语中叫harvest的原因是该季节庄稼成熟，农民大丰收。
63. 定位原文第三段：“The word “autumn” first came into English in the 1300s”，可知autumn首次进入英语的时间是1300年代。
64. 定位原文第三段：“The phrase was shortened in the 1600s to “fall”.”，可知“the fall of the leaves”缩短为“fall”的时间是1600年代。
65. 梳理全文内容，主要围绕autumn和fall这两个表示秋季的词汇的历史展开，因此主旨是秋季名称的历史。
【答案】
61. Autumn.
62. Because during this season crops become ripe and farmers have a big harvest.
63. In the 1300s.
64. In the 1600s.
65. The history of the names of autumn/fall.
【知识点】
英语阅读理解、英语词汇演变、主旨大意概括
【点评】
本题为常规英语阅读题，以细节理解为主，辅以主旨概括，只要能精准定位原文信息即可顺利解答，难度适中。
【难度系数】
0.6