四、阅读理解。
主题群:做人与做事 子主题:工匠精神 语篇类型:说明文 难度:★★★
People believe that every word has its correct meaning(s). When we are not sure, we usually check online, or turn to our teachers or dictionaries(字典). But do you know how dictionaries were made in the past?
Dictionary writers first read the important books of the period or the subject that the dictionary was about. As they read, they copied necessary information on cards: interesting words, common words—both in their daily uses and unusual uses, and also the sentences where they were used. That is to say, the words, along with the uses of each word, were collected. For a really big dictionary, millions of such cards were collected. This task could last for years. As the cards were collected, they were put in alphabetical order (A~Z). When this was done, there would be several hundred cards for each single word.
Then, to define(给……下定义) a word, the dictionary writer placed its hundreds of cards before him. He read the cards closely, threw away some, read the rest again, and divided up the cards according to what he thought were the common uses of the word. Finally, he wrote the definitions, following the hard-and-fast rule: each definition must come from an example on a certain card in front of him.
So, the writing of a dictionary was not a task of inventing meanings of words, but a task of recording their meanings. The writer of a dictionary was a historian, not a lawmaker.
As time has passed, the way of producing dictionaries has greatly changed. Nowadays, we can use online dictionaries too. When choosing our words in speaking or writing, we can be guided by the dictionary. However, we cannot be controlled by it, because new situations, new experiences, new inventions, and new feelings are always pushing us to give new uses to old words.
()1. Why did dictionary writers read important books?
A. To know more about the period.
B. To collect words and their uses.
C. To understand different subjects.
D. To learn to use interesting words.
()2.（创新考法·图片理解）Which shows the correct steps of how dictionaries were made in the past?

A. ①③④② B. ①②④③ C. ③④②① D. ③①④②
()3. What can we learn from the passage about dictionary writing in the past?
A. It should be done by historians.
B. It was a task of inventing and recording meanings.
C. It was long-time hard work.
D. It had to use the law-making rules.
()4. What does the writer advise us to do when we choose words in communication?
A. Be open to the new uses of words.
B. Follow the dictionary strictly.
C. Only use online dictionaries.
D. Try to create new words.

1. B
2. D
3. C
4. A

【分析】
1. 第1题：属于细节理解题，需定位原文中字典编写者读重要书籍的目的，找到对应信息即可选出答案；
2. 第2题：属于图片排序题，需梳理原文中过去字典制作的步骤，再匹配对应图片的顺序；
3. 第3题：属于细节理解题，需查找原文中关于过去字典编写工作特点的描述，对比选项得出答案；
4. 第4题：属于推理判断题，需定位原文最后一段作者的建议，结合选项分析得出结论。
【解析】
1. 细节理解题：根据原文第二段“As they read, they copied necessary information on cards: interesting words, common words... the words, along with the uses of each word, were collected.”可知，字典编写者读重要书籍是为了收集单词及其用法，对应选项B，故选B。
2. 图片排序题：梳理原文过去字典制作的步骤：①收集卡片（对应图③的空白卡片）；②整理单词卡片（对应图①的air、king、cap等单词卡片）；③按字母顺序排列单词卡片（对应图④中air的三张按字母排序的卡片）；④编写单词定义（对应图②中air的定义），因此正确顺序为③①④②，对应选项D，故选D。
3. 细节理解题：根据原文第二段“This task could last for years.”可知，过去编写字典是长期的艰苦工作，对应选项C，故选C。
4. 推理判断题：根据原文最后一段“we cannot be controlled by it, because new situations... pushing us to give new uses to old words.”可知，作者建议我们接受单词的新用法，对应选项A，故选A。
【答案】
1. B 2. D 3. C 4. A
【知识点】
英语阅读理解、细节理解题、图片排序题
【点评】
本文是关于字典制作的说明文，考查学生对文本细节的查找、步骤排序以及作者观点的理解，题型涵盖细节题、排序题和推理题，整体难度适中，需学生准确把握原文关键信息。
【难度系数】
0.6