19．Does your local town have a nickname？If so，what does it say about the area and the people who live there？Many cities are recognized across the world by their unofficial titles．New York is the Big Apple，London is the Big Smoke，and Los Angles is famously called La La Land．
Now，as part of English Language Day on Wednesday，Britain's national mapping agency，Ordnance Survey，and the British linguistics charity （语言学慈善机构），the English Project，are launching an interactive project which aims to identify the nicknames people use in their daily lives for local places．
"The name that people create for a place forms an emotional connection，"explains Winchester University's Professor Bill Lucas，a supporter of the English Project．"So Basingstoke becomes Amazingstoke，Swindon is known as Swindump and Padstow，hometown of Chef Rick Stein，is nicknamed Padstein．"
Basingstoke is a town in central England．The local nickname，Amaxingstoke，shows that affection that locals seem to have for the area．Swindon，on the other hand，is sometimes called Swindump，showing that some people think it's a dump （垃圾场）．Stanford Le Hope in Essex is called Stanford No Hope by locals．And Padstow in Cornwall is so closely connected with the local famous person Rick Stein that it's become known as Padstein．
Since launching the online survey last week，the creators have already received 3，000alternative titles for places and landmarks．
There is a practical side to the project．Glen Hart，Ordnance Survey's head of research，says the information could be very helpful to the emergency services．For example，"By having the most complete set of nicknames we could help the emergency services quickly locate the right place，and maybe even save lives，"he says．
21．What's the passage mainly about？D
A．Some stories about nicknames for places．
B．Organizations collect official place names．
C．People have a great affection for their cities．
D．A survey of the nickname for places．
22．Unlike the town Basingstoke，Swindon is a place thatA．
A．seems unpleasant to some people
B．attracts a lot of tourists
C．has few people living there
D．has a long history
23．What does Glen Hart think of the project？B
A．It proves that most nicknames are interesting．
B．It is very helpful to the emergency services．
C．It may help increase the number of nicknames．
D．It has helped prevent deaths from happening．
分析 本文介绍了英国国家规划局和语言学慈善机构共同对不同城市的绰号做了调查，并举出了一些有趣的例子．
解答 21．D．主旨大意题．本文主要介绍了英国国家规划局和语言学慈善机构共同发起了一个揭秘地名绰号的项目，故选D．
22．A．推理判断题．根据第五段中的"…Swindump showing that some people think it's a dump（垃圾场）"有些人认为它就是一个垃圾场，可推断出一些人不喜欢它，故选A．
23．B．细节理解题．根据最后一段中的"Glen Hart says the information could be very helpful to the emergency services"可知，英国的地方绰号调查是有实际用处的，故选B．
点评 这篇文章非常简单，先看问题，再带着问题仔细阅读短文，理解了全文内容，很容易选出正确答案．阅读注意事项：1、关注连词，分析文章逻辑结构．2、聚焦代词，明辨指代关系．3、抓住关键词语，利用平行结构、上下文（包括定义、释义、举例、对比、标点）进行判断与推理．4、了解一些构词法，从词根的特殊含义入手．
