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第一部分 阅读理解全真题
Unit 1

Part Ⅱ Reading Comprehension

  (35 minutes)
Directions: There are 4 passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.

Passage One
Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage:

What has the telephone done to us, or for us, in the hundred years of its existence? A few effects suggest themselves at once. It has saved lives by getting rapid word of illness, injury, or fire from remote places. By joining with the elevator to make possible the multi-story residence or office building, it has made possible — for better or worse — the modern city. By bringing about a great leap in the speed and ease with which information moves from place to place, it has greatly accelerated the rate of scientific and technological changes and growth in industry. Beyond doubt it has seriously weakened if not killed the ancient art of letter writing. It has made living alone possible for persons with normal social impulses; by so doing, it has played a role in one of the greatest social changes of this century, the breakup of the multi-generational household. It has made the war chillingly more efficient than formerly. Perhaps, though not provably (可证实)，it has prevented wars that might have arisen out of international misunderstanding caused by written communication. Or perhaps — again not provably — by magnifying and extending irrational personal conflicts based on voice contact, it has caused wars. Certainly it has extended the scope of human conflicts, since it impartially disseminates (传播) the useful knowledge of scientists and the nonsense of the ignorant, the affection of the affectionate and the malice (恶意) of the malicious.

21. What is the main idea of this passage?
A) The telephone has helped to save people from illness and fire.
B) The telephone has helped to prevent wars and conflicts.
C) The telephone has made the modern city neither better nor worse.
D) The telephone has had positive as well as negative effects on us.

22. According to the passage, it is the telephone that     .
A) has made letter writing an art
B) has prevented wars by avoiding written communication
C) has made the world different from what it was
D) has caused wars by magnifying and extending human conflicts

23. The telephone has intensified conflicts among people because       .
A) it increases the danger of war
B) it provides services to both the good and the malicious
C) it makes distant communication easier
D) it breaks up the multi-generational household

24. The author describes the telephone as impartial because it       .
A) saves lives of people in remote places
B) enables people to live alone if they want to
C) spreads both love and ill will
D) replaces much written communication

25. The writer's attitude towards the use of the telephone is       .
A) affectionate                 C) approving
B) disapproving                            D) neutral

Passage Two
Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage:

To say that the child learns by imitation and that the way to teach is to set a good example oversimplifies. No child imitates every action he sees. Sometimes, the example the parent wants him to follow is ignored while he takes over contrary patterns from some other example. Therefore we must turn to a more subtle theory than “Monkey see, monkey do.”
Look at it from the child's point of view. Here he is in a new situation, lacking a ready response. He is seeking a response which will gain certain ends. If he lacks a ready response for the situation, and cannot reason out what to do, he observes a model who seems able to get the right result. The child looks for an authority or expert who can show what to do.?
There is a second element at work in this situation. The child may be able to attain his immediate goal only to find that his method brings criticism from people who observe him. When shouting across the house achieves his immediate end of delivering a message, he is told emphatically that such a racket(叫嚷) is unpleasant, that he should walk into the next room and say his say quietly. Thus, the desire to solve any objective situation is overlaid with the desire to solve it properly. One of the early things the child learns is that he gets more affection and approval when his parents like his response. Then other adults reward some actions and criticize others. If one is to maintain the support of others and his own self-respect, he must adopt responses his social group approves.
In finding trial responses, the learner does not choose models at random. He imitates the person who seems a good person to be like, rather than a person whose social status he wishes to avoid. If the pupil wants to be a good violinist, he will observe and try to copy the techniques of capable players; while some other person may most influence his approach to books.?
Admiration of one quality often leads us to admire a person as a whole, and he becomes an identifying figure. We use some people as models over a wide range of situations, imitating much that they do. We learn that they are dependable and rewarding models because imitating them leads to success.

26. The statement that children learn by imitation is incomplete because     .
A) they only imitate authorities and experts
B) they are not willing to copy their parents
C) the process of identification has been ignored
D) the nature of their imitation as a form of behaviour has been neglected

27. For a child the first element in his learning by imitation is     .
A) the need to find an authority
B) the need to find a way to achieve the desired result
C) the need for more affection from his parents
D) the desire to meet the standards of his social group

28. Apart from achieving his desired results, a child should also learn to       .
A) behave properly                         C) show his affection for his parents
B) attain his goal as soon as possible   D) talk quietly

29. Children tend to imitate their models       .
A) who do not criticize them
B) who bring them unexpected rewards
C) whom they want to be like
D) whose social status is high

30. “An identifying figure”(Line 2, Para. 5) refers to a person       .
A) who serves as a model for others
B) who is always successful
C) who can be depended upon
D) who has been rewarded for his success

Passage Three
Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage:

When imaginative men turn their eyes towards space and wonder whether life exist in any part of it, they may cheer themselves by remembering that life need not resemble closely the life that exists on Earth. Mars looks like the only planet where life like ours could exist, and even this is doubtful. But there may be other kinds of life based on other kinds of chemistry, and they may multiply on Venus or Jupiter. At least we cannot prove at present that they do not.
Even more interesting is the possibility that life on their planets may be in a more advanced stage of evolution. Present-day man is in a peculiar and probably temporary stage. His individual units retain a strong sense of personality. They are, in fact, still capable under favorable circumstances of leading individual lives. But man's societies are already sufficiently developed to have enormously more power and effectiveness than the individuals have.
It is not likely that this transitional situation will continue very long on the evolutionary time scale. Fifty thousand years from now man's societies may have become so close-knit that the individuals retain no sense of separate personality. Then little distinction will remain between the organic parts of the multiple organism and the inorganic parts (machines) that have been constructed by it. A million years further on man and his machines may have merged as closely as the muscles of the human body and the nerve cells that set them in motion.
The explorers of space should be prepared for some such situation. If they arrive on a foreign planet that has reached an advanced stage (and this is by no means impossible), they may find it being inhabited by a single large organism composed of many closely cooperating units.
The units may be “secondary” — machines created millions of years ago by a previous form of life and given the will and ability to survive and reproduce. They may be built entirely of metals and other durable materials. If this is the case, they may be much more tolerant of their environment, multiplying under conditions that would destroy immediately any organism made of carbon compounds and dependent on the familiar carbon cycle.
Such creatures might be relics(遗物) of a past age, many millions of years ago, when their planet was favorable to the origin of life, or they might be immigrants from a favored planet.

31. What does the word “cheer” (Line 2, Para. 1) imply?
A) Imaginative men are sure of success in finding life on other planets.
B) Imaginative men are delighted to find life on other planets.
C) Imaginative men are happy to find a different kind of life existing on other planets.
D) Imaginative men can be pleased with the idea that there might exist different forms of life on other planets.
32. Humans on Earth today are characterized by       .
A) their existence as free and separate beings
B) their capability of living under favorable conditions
C) their great power and effectiveness
D) their strong desire for living in a close-knit society

33. According to this passage, some people believe that eventually       .
A) human societies will be much more cooperative
B) man will live in a highly organized world
C) machines will replace man
D) living beings will disappear from Earth

34. Even most imaginative people have to admit that       .
A) human societies are as advanced as those on some other planets
B) planets other than Earth are not suitable for life like ours to stay
C) it is difficult to distinguish between organic parts and inorganic parts of the human body
D) organism are more creative than machines

35. It seems that the writer       .
A) is interested in the imaginary life forms
B) is eager to find a different form of life
C) is certain of the existence of a new life form
D) is critical of the imaginative people

Passage Four
Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage:

The American baby boom after the war made unconvincing U.S. advice to poor countries that they restrain their births. However, there has hardly been a year since 1957 in which birth rates have not fallen in the United States and other rich countries, and in 1976 the fall was especially sharp. Both East Germany and West Germany have fewer births than they have deaths, and the United States is only temporarily able to avoid this condition because the children of the baby boom are now an exceptionally large group of married couples.
It is true that Americans do not typically plan their births to set an example for developing nations. We are more affected by women's liberation: once women see interesting and well-paid jobs and careers available, they are less willing to provide free labor for child raising. From costing nothing, children suddenly come to seem impossibly expensive. And to the high cost of children are added the uncertainties introduced by divorce; couples are increasingly unwilling to subject children to the terrible experience of marital (婚姻的) breakdown and themselves to the difficulty of raising a child alone.
These circumstances — women working outside the home and the instability of marriage — tend to spread with industrial society and they will affect more and more countries during the remainder of this century. Along with them goes social mobility, ambition to rise in the urban world, a main factor in bringing down the births in Europe in the nineteenth century.
Food shortage will happen again when the reserves resulting from the good harvests of 1976 and 1977 have been consumed. Urbanization is likely to continue, with the cities of the developing nations struggling under the weight of twice their present populations by the year 2000. The presently rich countries are approaching a stable population largely because of the changed place of women, and they incidentally are setting an example of restraint to the rest of the world. Industrial society will spread to the poor countries, and aspirations (渴望) will exceed resources. All this will lead to a population in the twenty-first century that is smaller than was feared a few years ago. For those anxious to see world population brought under control the news is encouraging.

36. During the years from 1957 to 1976, the birth rate of the United States     .
A) increased                    C) experienced both falls and rises
B) was reduced                      D) remained stable

37. What influences the birth rate most in the United States is       .
A) highly paid jobs                  C) expenses of child raising
B) women's desire for independence          D) high divorce rate

38. The sentence “From costing nothing, children suddenly come to seem impossibly expensive.” (Line 4, Para. 2) implies that       .
A) food and clothing for babies are becoming incredibly expensive
B) prices are going up dramatically all the time
C) to raise children women have to give up interesting and well-paid jobs
D) social development has made child-raising inexpensive

39. A chief factor in bringing down the births in Europe in the 19th century is     .
A) birth control                      C) the instability of marriage
B) the desire to seek fortune in cities          D) the changed place of women

40. The population in the 21st century, according to the writer, .
A) will be smaller than a few years ago
B) will not be as small as people expect
C) will prove to be a threat to the world
D) will not constitute as serious a problem as expected

Unit 2

Part Ⅱ Reading Comprehension
  (35 minutes)
Directions: There are 4 reading passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.

Questions 21 to 24 are based on the following passage:

Automation refers to the introduction of electronic control and automatic operation of productive machinery. It reduces the human factors, mental and physical in production, and is designed to make possible the manufacture of more goods with fewer workers. The development of automation in American industry has been called the “Second Industrial Revolution.”
Labour's concern over automation arises from uncertainty about the effects on employment, and fears of major changes in jobs. In the main, labour has taken the view that resistance to technical change is unfruitful. Eventually, the result of automation may well be an increase in employment, since it is expected that vast industries will grow up around manufacturing, maintaining, and repairing automation equipment. The interest of labour lies in bringing about the transition with a minimum of inconvenience and distress to the workers involved. Also, union spokesmen emphasize that the benefit of the increased production and lower costs made possible by automation should be shared by workers in the form of higher wages, more leisure, and improved living standards.
To protect the interests of their members in the era of automation, unions have adopted a number of new policies. One of these is the promotion of supplementary unemployment benefit plans. It is emphasized that since the employer involved in such a plan has a direct financial interest in preventing unemployment, he will have a strong drive for planning new installations so as to cause the least possible problems in jobs and job assignments. Some unions are working for dismissal pay agreements, requiring that permanently dismissed workers be paid a sum of money based on length of service. Another approach is the idea of the “improvement factor”, which calls for wage increases based on increases in productivity. It is possible, however, that labour will rely mainly on reduction in working hours in order to gain a full share in the fruits of automation.

21. Though labour worries about the effects of automation, it never doubts that     .
A) automation will eventually prevent unemployment
B) automation will help workers acquire new skills
C) automation will eventually benefit the workers no less than the employers.
D) automation is a trend which cannot be stopped

22. The idea of the “improvement factor”(Para. 3, Line 8) implies roughly     .
A) wages should be paid on the basis of length of service
B) the benefit of the increased production and lower costs should be shared by workers
C) supplementary unemployment benefit plans should be promoted
D) the transition to automation should be brought about with the minimum of inconvenience and distress to workers

23. In order to get the full benefits of automation, labour will depend mostly on       .
A) additional payment to the permanently dismissed workers
B) the increase of wages in proportion to the increase in productivity
C) shorter working hours and more leisure time
D) strong drive for planning new installations

24. Which of the following can best sum up the passage?
A) Advantages and disadvantages of automation.
B) Labour and the effects of automation.
C) Unemployment benefit plans and automation.
D) Social benefits of automation.

Questions 25 to 30 are based on the following passage:

The case for college has been accepted without question for more than a generation. All high school graduates ought to go, says conventional wisdom and statistical evidence, because college will help them earn more money, become “better” people, and learn to be more responsible citizens than those who don't go.
But college has never been able to work its magic for everyone. And now that close to half our high school graduates are attending, those who don't fit the pattern are becoming more numerous, and more obvious. College graduates are selling shoes and driving taxis; college students interfere with each other's experiments and writes false letters of recommendation in the intense competition for admission to graduate school. Others find no stimulation in their studies, and drop out — often encouraged by college administrators.
Some observers say the fault is with the young people themselves — they are spoiled and they are expecting too much. But that's a condemnation of the students as a whole, and doesn't explain all campus unhappiness. Others blame the state of the world, and they are partly right. We've been told that young people have to go to college because our economy can't absorb an army of untrained eighteen-year-olds. But disappointed graduates are learning that it can no longer absorb an army of trained twenty-two-year-olds, either.
Some adventuresome educators and campus watchers have openly begun to suggest that college may not be the best, the proper, the only place for every young person after the completion of high school. We may have been looking at all those surveys and statistics upside down, it seems, and through the rosy glow of our own remembered college experiences. Perhaps college doesn't make people intelligent, ambitious, happy, liberal, or quick to learn things — maybe it's just the other way around, and intelligent, ambitious, happy, liberal, quick-learning people are merely the ones who have been attracted to college in the first place. And perhaps all those successful college graduates would have been successful whether they had gone to college or not. This is heresy (异端邪说) to those of us who have been brought up to believe that if a little schooling is good, more has to be much better. But contrary evidence is beginning to mount up.

25. According to the author,       .
A) people used to question the value of college education
B) people used to have full confidence in higher education
C) all high school graduates went to college
D) very few high school graduates chose to go to college

26. In the 2nd paragraph, “those who don't fit the pattern” refers to       . A) high school graduates who aren't suitable for college education
B) college graduates who are selling shoes and driving taxis
C) college students who aren't any better for their higher education
D) high school graduates who failed to be admitted to college

27. The drop-out rate of college students seems to go up because       .
A) young people are disappointed with the conventional way of teaching at college
B) many young people are required to join the army
C) young people have little motivation in pursuing a higher education
D) young people don't like the intense competition for admission to graduate school

28. According to the passage the problems of college education partly arise from the fact that       .
A) society cannot provide enough jobs for properly trained college graduates
B) high school graduates do not fit the pattern of college education
C) too many students have to earn their own living
D) college administrators encourage students to drop out

29. In this passage the author argues that       .
A) more and more evidence shows college education may not be the best thing for high school graduates
B) college education is not enough if one wants to be successful
C) college education benefits only the intelligent, ambitious, and quick-learning people
D) intelligent people may learn quicker if they don't go to college

30. The “surveys and statistics” mentioned in the last paragraph might have shown that       .
A) college-educated people are more successful than non-college-educated people
B) college education was not the first choice for intelligent people
C) the less schooling one has the better it is for him
D) most people have sweet memories of college life

Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage:

Ours has become a society of employees. A hundred years or so ago only one out of every five Americans at work was employed, i.e., worked for somebody else. Today only one out of five is not employed but working for himself. And when fifty years ago “being employed” meant working as a factory labourer or as a farmhand, the employee of today is increasingly a middle-class person with a substantial formal education, holding a professional or management job requiring intellectual and technical skills. Indeed, two things have characterized American society during these last fifty years: middle-class and upper-class employees have been the fastest-growing groups in our working population — growing so fast that the industrial worker, that oldest child of the Industrial Revolution, has been losing in numerical importance despite the expansion of industrial production.
Yet you will find little if anything written on what it is to be an employee. You can find a great deal of very dubious advice on how to get a job or how to get a promotion. You can also find a good deal of work in a chosen field, whether it be the mechanist's trade or bookkeeping (簿记). Every one of these trades requires different skills, sets different standards, and requires a different preparation. Yet they all have employeeship in common. And increasingly, especially in the large business or in government, employeeship is more important to success than the special professional knowledge or skill. Certainly more people fail because they do not know the requirements of being an employee than because they do not adequately possess the skills of their trade; the higher you climb the ladder, the more you get into administrative or executive work, the greater the emphasis on ability to work within the organization rather than on technical abilities or professional knowledge.

31. It is implied that fifty years ago       .
A) eighty per cent of American working people were employed in factories
B) twenty per cent of American intellectuals were employees
C) the percentage of intellectuals in the total work force was almost the same as that of industrial workers
D) the percentage of intellectuals working as employees was not so large as that of industrial workers

32. According to the passage, with the development of modern industry,       .
A) factory labourers will overtake intellectual employees in number
B) there are as many middle-class employees as factory labourers
C) employers have attached great importance to factory labourers
D) the proportion of factory labourers in the total employee population has decreased

33. The word “dubious” (Para. 2, Line 2) most probably means       .
A) valuable                        C) doubtful
B) useful                          D) helpful

34. According to the writer, professional knowledge or skill is       .
A) less important than awareness of being a good employee
B) as important as the ability to deal with public relations
C) more important than employer-employee relations
D) as important as the ability to co-operate with others in the organization

35. From the passage it can be seen that employeeship helps one       .
A) to be more successful in his career          C) to solve technical problems
B) to be more specialized in his field          D) to develop his professional skill
Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage:

We all know that the normal human daily cycle of activity is of some 7-8 hours' sleep alternating with some 16-17 hours' wakefulness and that, broadly speaking, the sleep normally coincides with the hours of darkness. Our present concern is with how easily and to what extent this cycle can be modified.
The question is no mere academic one. The ease, for example, with which people can change from working in the day to working at night is a question of growing importance in industry where automation calls for round-the-clock working of machines. It normally takes from five days to one week for a person to adapt to a reversed routine of sleep and wakefulness, sleeping during the day and working at night. Unfortunately, it is often the case in industry that shifts are changed every week; a person may work from 12 midnight to 8 a.m. one week, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m the next, and 4 p.m. to 12 midnight the third and so on. This means that no sooner has he got used to one routine than he has to change to another, so that much of his time is spent neither working nor sleeping very efficiently.
The only real solution appears to be to hand over the night shift to a number of permanent night workers. An interesting study of the domestic life and health of night-shift workers was carried out by Brown in 1957. She found a high incidence (发生率) of disturbed sleep and other disorders among those on alternating day and night shifts, but no abnormal occurrence of these phenomena among those on permanent night work.
This latter system then appears to be the best long-term policy, but meanwhile something may be done to relieve the strains of alternate day and night work by selecting those people who can adapt most quickly to the changes of routine. One way of knowing when a person has adapted is by measuring his body temperature. People engaged in normal daytime work will have a high temperature during the hours of wakefulness and a low one at night; when they change to night work the pattern will only gradually go back to match the new routine and the speed with which it does so parallels, broadly speaking, the adaptation of the body as a whole, particularly in terms of performance. Therefore, by taking body temperature at intervals of two hours throughout the period of wakefulness it can be seen how quickly a person can adapt to a reversed routine, and this could be used as a basis for selection. So far, however, such a form of selection does not seem to have been applied in practice.

36. Why is the question of “how easily people can get used to working at night” no mere academic one?
A) Because few people like to reverse the cycle of sleep and wakefulness.
B) Because sleep normally coincides with the hours of darkness.
C) Because people are required to work at night in some fields of industry.
D) Because shift work in industry requires people to change their sleeping habits.

37. The main problem of the round-the-clock working system lies in       .?
A) the inconveniences brought about to the workers by the introduction of automation
B) the disturbance of the daily cycle of workers who have to change shifts too frequently
C) the fact that people working at night are often less effective
D) the fact that it is difficult to find a number of good night workers

38. The best solution for implementing the 24-hour working system seems to be       .
A) to change shifts at longer intervals
B) to have longer shifts
C) to employ people who work on night shifts only
D) to create better living conditions for night workers

39. It is possible to find out if a person has adapted to the changes of routine by measuring his body temperature because       .
A) body temperature changes when the cycle of sleep and wakefulness alternates
B) body temperature changes when he changes to night shift or back
C) the temperature reverses when the routines is changed
D) people have higher temperatures when they are working efficiently

40. Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE?
A) Body temperature may serve as an indication of a worker's performance.
B) The selection of a number of permanent night shift workers has proved to be t he best solution to problems of the round-the-clock working system.
C) Taking body temperature at regular intervals can show how a person adapts to the changes of routine.
D) Disturbed sleep occurs less frequently among those on permanent night or day shifts.

Unit 3

Part Ⅱ Reading Comprehension
  (35 minutes)
Directions: There are 4 reading passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.

Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage:

It is natural for young people to be critical of their parents at times and to blame them for most of the misunderstandings between them. They have always complained, more or less justly, that their parents are out of touch with modern ways; that they are possessive and dominant; that they do not trust their children to deal with crises; that they talk too much about certain problems — and that they have no sense of humour, at least in parent-child relationships.
I think it is true that parents often underestimate their teenage children and also forget how they themselves felt when young.
Young people often irritate their parents with their choices in clothes and hairstyles, in entertainers and music. This is not their motive. They feel cut off from the adult world into which they have not yet been accepted. So they create a culture and society of their own. Then, if it turns out that their music or entertainers or vocabulary or clothes or hairstyles irritate their parents, this gives them additional enjoyment. They feel they are superior, at least in a small way, and that they are leaders in style and taste.
Sometimes you are resistant, and proud because you do not want your parents to approve of what you do. If they did approve, it looks as if you are betraying your own age group. But in that case, you are assuming that you are the underdog: you can't win but at least you can keep your honour. This is a passive way of looking at things. It is natural enough after long years of childhood, when you were completely under your parents' control. But it ignores the fact that you are now beginning to be responsible for yourself.
If you plan to control your life, co-operation can be part of that plan. You can charm others, especially your parents, into doing things the way you want. You can impress others with your sense of responsibility and initiative, so that they will give you the authority to do what you want to do.

21. The author is primarily addressing     .
A) parents of teenagers                      C) teenagers
B) newspaper readers              D) those who give advice to teenagers

22. The first paragraph is mainly about       .
A) the teenagers' criticism of their parents
B) misunderstandings between teenagers and their parents
C) the dominance of the parents over their children
D) the teenagers' ability to deal with crises

23. Teenagers tend to have strange clothes and hairstyles because they     .
A) want to irritate their parents
B) have a strong desire to be leaders in style and taste
C) have no other way to enjoy themselves better
D) want to show their existence by creating a culture of their own

24. Teenagers do not want their parents to approve of whatever they do because they       .
A) have a desire to be independent
B) feel that they are superior in a small way to the adults
C) are not likely to win over the adults
D) have already been accepted into the adult world

25. To improve parent-child relationships, teenagers are advised to be       .
A) obedient                  C) independent
B) responsible                   D) co-operative

Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage:

The long years of food shortage in this country have suddenly given way to apparent abundance. Stores and shops are choked with food. Rationing (定量供应) is virtually suspended, and overseas suppliers have been asked to hold back deliveries. Yet, instead of joy, there is wide-spread uneasiness and confusion. Why do food prices keep on rising, when there seems to be so much more food about? Is the abundance only temporary, or has it come to stay? Does it mean that we need to think less now about producing more food at home? No one knows what to expect.
The recent growth of export surpluses on the world food market has certainly been unexpectedly great, partly because a strange sequence of two successful grain harvests in North America is now being followed by a third. Most of Britain's overseas suppliers of meat, too, are offering more this year and home production has also risen.
But the effect of all this on the food situation in this country has been made worse by a simultaneous rise in food prices, due chiefly to the gradual cutting down of government support for food. The shops are overstocked with food not only because there is more food available, but also because people, frightened by high prices, are buying less of it.
Moreover, the rise in domestic prices has come at a time when world prices have begun to fall, with the result that imported food, with the exception of grain, is often cheaper than the home-produced variety. And now grain prices, too, are falling. Consumers are beginning to ask why they should not be enabled to benefit from this trend.
The significance of these developments is not lost on farmers. The older generation have seen it all happen before. Despite the present price and market guarantees, farmers fear they are about to be squeezed between cheap food imports and a shrinking home market. Present production is running at 51 per cent above pre-war levels, and the government has called for an expansion to 60 per cent by 1956; but repeated Ministerial advice is carrying little weight and the expansion programme is not working very well.

26. Why is there “wide-spread uneasiness and confusion” about the food situation in Britain?
A) The abundant food supply is not expected to last.
B) Despite the abundance, food prices keep rising.
C) Britain is importing less food.
D) Britain will cut back on its production of food.

27. The main reason for the rise in food prices is that       .
A) people are buying less food
B) imported food is driving prices higher
C) domestic food production has decreased
D) the government is providing less support for agriculture

28. Why didn't the government's expansion programme work very well?
A) Because the farmers were uncertain about the financial support the government guaranteed.
B) Because the farmers were uncertain about the benefits of expanding production.
C) Because the farmers were uncertain whether foreign markets could be found for their produce.
D) Because the older generation of farmers were strongly against the programme.

29. The decrease in world food prices was a result of       .
A) a sharp fall in the purchasing power of the consumers
B) a sharp fall in the cost of food production
C) the overproduction of food in the food-importing countries
D) the overproduction on the part of the main food-exporting countries

30. What did the future look like for Britain's food production at the time this article was written?
A) It looks depressing despite government guarantees     .
B) An expansion of food production was at hand.
C) British food producers would receive more government financial support.
D) The fall in world food prices would benefit British food producers.

Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage:

It is hard to predict how science is going to turn out, and if it is really good science it is impossible to predict. If the things to be found are actually new, they are by definition unknown in advance. You cannot make choices in this matter. You either have science or you don't, and if you have it you are obliged to accept the surprising and disturbing pieces of information, along with the neat and promptly useful bits.
The only solid piece of scientific truth about which I feel totally confident is that we are profoundly ignorant about nature. Indeed, I regard this as the major discovery of the past hundred years of biology. It is, in its way, an illuminating piece of news. It would have amazed the brightest minds of the 18th century Enlightenment (启蒙运动) to be told by any of us how little we know and how be wildering seems the way ahead. It is this sudden confrontation with the depth and scope of ignorance that represents the most significant contribution of the 20th century science to the human intellect. In earlier times, we either pretended to understand how things worked or ignored the problem, or simply made up stories to fill the gaps. Now that we have begun exploring in earnest, we are getting glimpses of how huge the questions are, and how far from being answered. Because of this, we are depressed. It is not so bad being ignorant if you are totally ignorant; the hard thing is knowing in some detail the reality of ignorance, the worst spots and here and there the not-so-bad spots, but no true light at the end of the tunnel nor even any tunnels that can yet be trusted.
But we are making a beginning, and there ought to be some satisfaction. There are probably no questions we can think up that can't be answered, sooner or later, including even the matter of consciousness. To be sure, there may well be questions we can't think up, ever, and therefore limits to the reach of human intellect, but that is another matter. Within our limits we should be able to work our way through to all our answers, if we keep at it long enough, and pay attention.
31. According to the author, really good science       .
A) would surprise the brightest minds of the 18th century Enlightenment
B) will help people to make the right choice in advance
C) will produce results which cannot be foreseen
D) will bring about disturbing results

32. It can be inferred from the passage that scientists of the 18th century     .
A) knew that they were ignorant and wanted to know more about nature
B) were afraid of facing up to the realities of scientific research
C) thought that they knew a great deal and could solve most problems of science
D) did more harm than good in promoting man's understanding of nature

33. Which of the following is NOT mentioned about scientists in earlier times?
A) They invented false theories to explain things they didn't understand.
B) They falsely claimed to know all about nature.
C) They did not believe in results from scientific observation.
D) They paid little attention to the problems they didn't understand.

34. What is the author's attitude towards science?
A) He is confident though he is aware of the enormous difficulties in scientific research.
B) He is doubtful because of the enormous difficulties in scientific research.
C) He is depressed because of the ignorance of scientists.
D) He is delighted because of the illuminating scientific findings.

35. The author believes that     .
A) man can not solve all the problems he can think up because of the limits of human intellect
B) man can find solutions sooner or later to whatever questions concerning nature he can think up
C) sooner or later man can think up all the questions concerning nature and answer them
D) questions concerning consciousness are outside the scope of scientific research

Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage:

Greenspace facilities are contributing to an important extent to the quality of the urban environment. Fortunately it is no longer necessary that every lectureor every book about this subject has to start with the proof of this idea. At present it is generally accepted, although more as a self-evident statement than on the base of a closely-reasoned scientific proof. The recognition of the importance of greenspaces in the urban environment is a first step on the right way, this does not mean, however, that sufficient details are known about the functions of greenspace in towns and about the way in which the inhabitants are using these spaces. As to this rather complex subject I shall, within the scope of this lecture, enter into one aspect only, namely the recreative function of green space facilities.
The theoretical separation of living, working, traffic and recreation which for many years has been used in town-and-country planning, has in my opinion resulted in disproportionate attention for forms of recreation far from home, whereas there was relatively little attention for improvement of recreative possibilities in the direct neighbourhood of the home. We have come to the conclusion that this is not right, because an important part of the time which we do not pass in sleeping or working, is used for activities at and around home. So it is obvious that recreation in the open air has to begin at the street-door of the house. The urban environment has to offer as many recreation activities as possible, and the design of these has to be such that more obligatory activities can also have a recreative aspect.
The very best standard of living is nothing if it is not possible to take a pleasant walk in the district, if the children cannot be allowed to play in the streets, because the risks of traffic are too great, if during shopping you can nowhere find a spot for enjoying for a moment the nice weather, in short, if you only feel yourself at home after the street-door of your house is closed after you.
36. According to the author, the importance of green spaces in the urban environment       .
A) is still unknown                  C) is being closely studied
B) has been fully recognized                D) is usually neglected

37. The theoretical separation of living, working, traffic and recreation has led to       .
A) the disproportion of recreation facilities in the neighbourhood
B) the improvement of recreative possibilities in the neighbourhood
C) relatively little attention for recreative possibilities
D) the location of recreation facilities far from home

38. The author suggests that the recreative possibilities of greenspace should be provided       .
A) in the neighbourhood of the house          C) in special areas
B) in the suburbs                      D) in gardens and parks

39. According to the author, greenspace facilitties should be designed in such a way that       .
A) an increasing number of recreative activities might be developed
B) more and more people might have access to them
C) more obligatory activities might take on a recreative aspect
D) recreative activities might be brought into our homes

40. The main idea of this passage is that       .
A) attention must be directed to the improvement of recreative possibilities
B) better use of greenspace facilities should be made so as to improve the quality of our life
C) the urban environment is providing more recreation activities than it did many years ago
D) priority must be given to the development of obligatory activities

Unit 4

Part Ⅱ Reading Comprehension
  (35 minutes)
Directions: There are 4 reading passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.

Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage:

“There is a senseless notion that children grow up and leave home when they're 18, and the truth is far from that,” says sociologist Larry Bumpass of the University of Wisconsin. Today, unexpected numbers of young adults are living with their parents.“There is a major shift in the middle class,”declares sociologist Allan Schnaiberg of Northwestern University, whose son, 19, moved back in after an absence of eight months.
Analysts cite a variety of reasons for this return to the nest. The marriage age is rising, a condition that makes home and its pleasantness particularly attractive to young people. A high divorce rate and a declining remarriage rate are sending economically pressed and emotionally hurt survivors back to parental shelters. For some, the expense of an away-from-home college education has become so excessively great that many students now attend local schools. Even after graduation, young people find their wings clipped by skyrocketing housing costs.
Living at home, says Knighton, a school teacher, continues to give her security and moral support. Her mother agreed,“It's ridiculous for the kids to pay all that money for rent. It makes sense for kids to stay at home.” But sharing the family home requires adjustments for all. There are the hassles over bathrooms, telephones and privacy. Some families, however, manage the delicate balancing act. But for others, it proves too difficult. Michelle Del Turco, 24, has been home three times — and left three times. “What I considered a social drink, my dad considered an alcohol problem,” she explains. “He never liked anyone I dated, so I either had to hide away or meet them at friends' houses.”
Just how long should adult children live with their parents before moving on? Most psychologists feel lengthy homecomings are a mistake. Children struggling to establish separate identities, can end up with “a sense of inadequacy, defeat and failure.” And aging parents, who should be enjoying some financial and personal freedom, find themselves stuck with responsibilities. Many agree that brief visits, however, can work beneficially.

21. According to the author, there was once a trend in the U.S.       .
A) for middle class young adults to stay with their parents
B) for young adults to leave their parents and live independently
C) for married young adults to move back home after a lengthy absence
D) for young adults to get jobs nearby in order to live with their parents
22. Which of the following does not account for young adults returning to the nest?
A) Young adults find housing costs too high.
B) Quite a number of young adults attend local schools.
C) Young adults seek parental comfort and moral support.
D) Young adults are psychologically and intellectually immature.

23. One of the disadvantages of young adults returning to stay with their parents is that       .
A) the young adults tend to be overprotected by their parents
B) most parents find it difficult to keep a bigger family going
C) there will inevitably be inconveniences in everyday life
D) public opinion is against young adults staying with their parents

24. The word “hassles” in the passage (Para. 3, Line 4) probably means     .
A) quarrels                        C) disadvantages
B) worries                      D) agreements

25. According to the passage what is the best for both parents and children?
A) They should adjust themselves to sharing the family expenses.
B) Children should leave their parents when they are grown up.
C) Adult children should visit their parents from time to time.
D) Parents should support their adult children when they are in trouble.

Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage:

The word conservation has a thrifty (节俭) meaning. To conserve is to save and protect, to leave what we ourselves enjoy in such good condition that others may also share the enjoyment. Our forefathers had no idea that human population would increase faster than the supplies of raw materials; most of them, even until very recently, had the foolish idea that the treasures were “limitless” and “inexhaustible”. Most of the citizens of earlier generations knew little or nothing about the complicated and delicate system that runs all through nature, and which means that, as in a living body, an unhealthy condition of one part will sooner or later be harmful to all the others.
Fifty years ago nature study was not part of the school work; scientific forestry was a new idea; timber was still cheap because it could be brought in any quantity from distant woodlands; soil destruction and river floods were not national problems; nobody had yet studied long-term climatic cycles in relation to proper land use; even the word “conservation” had nothing of the meaning that it has for us today.
For the sake of ourselves and those who will come after us, we must now set about repairing the mistakes of our forefathers. Conservation should, therefore, be made a part of everyone's daily life. To know about the water table (水位) in the ground is just as important to us as a knowledge of the basic arithmetic formulas. We need to know why all watersheds (上游源头森林地带集水区) need the protection of plant life and why the running current of streams and rivers must be made to yield their full benefit to the soil before they finally escape to the sea. We need to betaught the duty of planting trees as well as of cutting them. We need to know the importance of big, mature trees, because living space for most of man's fellow creatures on this planet is figured not only in square measure of surface but also in cubic volume above the earth. In brief, it should be our goal to restore as much of the original beauty of nature as we can.

26. The author's attitude towards the current situation in the exploitation of natural resources is       .
A) critical                        C) positive
B) neutral                          D) suspicious

27. According to the author, the greatest mistake of our forefathers was that     .
A) they had no idea about scientific forestry
B) they were not aware of the significance of nature study
C) they had little or no sense of environmental protection
D) they had no idea of how to make good use of raw materials

28. It can be inferred from the third paragraph that earlier generations didn't realize       .
A) the importance of the proper use of land
B) the value of the beauty of nature
C) the harmfulness of soil destruction and river floods
D) the interdependence of water, soil, and living things

29. To avoid the mistakes of our forefathers, the author suggests that       .
A) we plant more trees
B) we return to nature
C) natural sciences be taught to everybody
D) environmental education be directed toward everyone

30. What does the author imply by saying “living space...is figured...also in cubic volume above the earth” (Para. 3, Lines 8-10)?
A) We need to take some measures to protect space.
B) Our living space should be measured in cubic volume.
C) Our living space on the earth is getting smaller and smaller.
D) We must preserve good living conditions for both birds and animals.

Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage:

Judging from recent surveys, most experts in sleep behavior agree that there is virtually an epidemic (流行病) of sleepiness in the nation. “I can't think of a single study that hasn't found Americans getting less sleep than they ought to,”says Dr. David. Even people who think they are sleeping enough would probably be better off with more rest.
The beginning of our sleep-deficit (睡眠不足) crisis can be traced to the invention of the light bulb a century ago. From diary entries and other personal accounts from the 18th and 19th centuries, sleep scientists have reached the conclusion that the average person used to sleep about 9.5 hours a night. “The best sleep habits once were forced on us, when we had nothing to do in the evening down on the farm, and it was dark.” By the 1950s and 1960s, that sleep schedule had been reduced dramatically, to between 7.5 and eight hours, and most people had to wake to an alarm clock.   “People cheat on their sleep, and they don't even realize they're doing it,” says Dr. David. “They think they're okey because they can get by on 6.5 hours, when they really need 7.5, eight or even more to feel ideally vigorous.”
Perhaps the most merciless robber of sleep, researchers say, is the complexity of the day. Whenever pressures from work, family, friends and community mount, many people consider sleep the least expensive item on his programme. “In our society, you're considered dynamic if you say you only need 5.5 hours' sleep. If you've got to get 8.5 hours, people think you lack drive and ambition.”?
To determine the consequences of sleep deficit, researchers have put subjects through a set of psychological and performance tests requiring them, for instance, to add columns of numbers or recall a passage read to them only minutes earlier. “We've found that if you're in sleep deficit, performance suffers,” says Dr.David. “Short-term memory is weakened, as are abilities to make decisions and to concentrate.”

31. People in the 18th and 19th centuries used to sleep about 9.5 hours a night because they had       .
A) no electric lighting                  C) the best sleep habits
B) no drive and ambition                  D) nothing to do in the evening

32. According to Dr. David, Americans       .
A) are ideally vigorous even under the pressure of life
B) can get by on 6.5 hours of sleep
C) do not know how to relax themselves properly
D) often neglect the consequences of sleep deficit

33. Many Americans believe that       .
A) they need more sleep to cope with the complexities of everyday life
B) sleep is the first thing that can be sacrificed when one is busy
C) to sleep is something one can do at any time of the day
D) enough sleep promotes people's drive and ambition

34. The word “subjects”(Para. 4, Line 1) refers to       .
A) the psychological consequences of sleep deficit
B) special branches of knowledge that are being studied
C) people whose behavior or reactions are being studied;
D) the psychological consequences of sleep definit
35. It can be concluded from the passage that one should sleep as many hours as is necessary to     .
A) maintain one's daily schedule              C) feel energetic and perform adequately
B) improve one's memory dramatically          D) be considered dynamic by other people

Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage:

The concept of personal choice in relation to health behaviors is an important one. An estimated 90 percent of all illnesses may be preventable if individuals would make sound personal health choices based upon current medical knowledge. We all enjoy our freedom of choice and do not like to see it restricted when it is within the legal and moral boundaries of society. The structure of American society allows us to make almost all our own personal decisions that may concern our health. If we so desire, we can smoke, drink excessively, refuse to wear seat belts, eat whatever foods we want, and live a completely sedentary life-style without any exercise. The freedom to make such personal decisions is a fundamental aspect of our society, although the wisdom of these decisions can be questioned. Personal choices relative to health often cause a difficulty. As one example, a teenager may know the facts relative to smoking cigarettes and health but may be pressured by friends into believing it is the socially accepted thing to do.
A multitude of factors, both inherited and environmental, influence the development of health-related behaviors, and it is beyond the scope of this text to discuss all these factors as they may affect any given individual. However, the decision to adopt a particular health-related behavior is usually one of personal choice. There are healthy choices and there are unhealthy choices. In discussing the morals of personal choice, Fries and Crapo drew a comparison. They suggest that to knowingly give oneself over to a behavior that has a statistical probability of shortening life is similar to attempting suicide. Thus, for those individuals who are interested in preserving both the quality and quantity of life, personal health choices should reflect those behaviors that are associated with a statistical probability of increased vitality and longevity.

36. The concept of personal choice concerning health is important because     .
A) wrong decisions could lead to poor health
B) it helps raise the level of our medical knowledge
C) it is essential to personal freedom in American society
D) personal health choices help cure most illnesses

37. To “live a completely sedentary life-style”(Para.1, Line 7-8) in the passage means       .
A) to “live a decent life”              C) to “live a life of vice”
B) to “live an inactive life”          D) to “live a life with complete freedom”

38. Sound personal health choice is often difficult to make because       .
A) few people are willing to trade the quality of life for the quantity of life B) people are usually influenced by the behavior of their friends
C) current medical knowledge is still insufficient
D) there are many factors influencing our decisions

39. To knowingly allow oneself to pursue unhealthy habits is compared by Fries and Crapo to     .
A) deliberately ending one's life          C) limiting one's personal health choice
B) improving the quality of one's life      D) breaking the rules of social behavior

40. According to Fries and Crapo sound health choices should be based on     .
A) personal decisions              C) friends' opinions
B) statistical evidence              D) society's laws

Unit 5

Part Ⅱ Reading Comprehension

  (35 minutes)
Directions: There are 4 reading passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.

Passage One
Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage:

There are desert plants which survive the dry season in the form of inactive seeds. There are also desert insects which survive as inactive larvae (幼虫). In addition, difficult as it is to believe, there are desert fish which can survive through years of drought (干旱) in the form of inactive eggs. These are the shrimps (小虾) that live in the Mojave Desert, an intensely dry region in the south-west of the United States where shade temperatures of over 50℃ are often recorded.?
The eggs of the Mojave shrimps are the size and have the appearance of grains of sand. When sufficient spring rain falls to form a lake, once every two to five years, these eggs hatch (孵化). Then the water is soon filled with millions of tiny shrimps about a millimetre long which feed on tiny plant and animal organisms which also grow in the temporary desert lake. Within a week, the shrimps grow from their original 1 millimetre to a length of about 1.5 centimetres.
Throughout the time that the shrimps are rapidly maturing, the water in the lake equally rapidly evaporates. Therefore, for the shrimps it is a race against time. By the twelfth day, however, when they are about 3 centimetre long, hundreds of tiny eggs form on the underbodies of the females. Usually by this time, all that remains of the lake is a large, muddy patch of wet soil. On the thirteenth day and the next, during the final hours of their brief lives, the shrimps lay their eggs in the mud. Then, having ensured that their species will survive, the shrimps die as the last of the water evaporates.
If sufficient rain falls the next year to form another lake, the eggs hatch, and once again the shrimps pass rapidly through their cycle of growth, adulthood, egg-laying, and death. Some years there is insufficient rain to form a lake: in this case, the eggs will remain dormant for another year, or even longer if necessary. Very, very occasionally, perhaps twice in a hundred years, sufficient rain falls to form a deep lake that lasts a month or more. In this case, the species passes through two cycles of growth, egg-laying, and death. Thus, on such occasions, the species multiplies considerably, which further ensures its survival.

21. Which of the following is the MOST distinctive feature of Mojave shrimps?
A) Their lives are brief.
B) They feed on plant and animal organisms.
C) Their eggs can survive years of drought.
D) They lay their eggs in the mud.

22. By saying “for the shrimps it is a race against time” (Para. 3, Line 2) the author means       .
A) they have to swim fast to avoid danger in the rapidly evaporating lake
B) they have to swim fast to catch the animal organisms on which they survive
C) they have to multiply as many as possible within thirteen days
D) they have to complete their life cycle within a short span of time permitted by the environment

23. The passage mainly deals with       .
A) the life span of the Mojave shrimps        C) the importance of water to life
B) the survival of desert shrimps            D) life in the Mojave Desert

24. The word “dormant” (Para. 4, Line 3) most probably means       .
A) inactive       B) strong         C) alert         D) soft

25. It may be inferred from the passage that       .
A) appearance and size are most important for life to survive in the desert
B) a species must be able to multiply quickly in order to survive
C) for some species one life cycle in a year is enough to survive the desert drought
D) some species develop a unique life pattern to survive in extremely harsh conditions

Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage:

Opportunities for rewarding work become fewer for both men and women as they grow older. After age 40, job hunting becomes even more difficult. Many workers stay at jobs they are too old for rather than face possible rejection. Our youth-oriented, throw-away culture sees little value in older people. In writer Lilian Hellman's words, they have “the wisdom that comes with age that we can't make use of.”
Unemployment and economic need for work is higher among older women, especially minorities, than among younger white women. A national council reports these findings: Though unemployed longer when seeking work, older women job-hunt harder, hold a job longer with less absenteeism (缺勤), perform as well or better, are more reliable, and are more willing to learn than men or younger women. Yet many older women earn poor pay and face a future of poverty in their retirement years. When “sexism meets ageism, poverty is no longer on the doorstep — it moves in,” according to Tish Sommers, director of a special study on older women for the National Organization for Women.
Yet a 1981 report on the White House Conference on Aging shows that as a group, older Americans are the “wealthiest, best fed, best housed, healthiest, most self-reliant older population in our history.” This statement is small comfort to those living below the poverty line, but it does explode some of the old traditional beliefs and fears. Opportunities for moving in and up in a large company may shrink but many older people begin successful small businesses, volunteer in satisfying activities, and stay active for many years. They have few role models because in previous generations the life span was much shorter and expectations of life were fewer. They are ploughing new ground.?
Employers are beginning to recognize that the mature person can bring a great deal of stability and responsibility to a position. One doesn't lose ability and experience on the eve of one's 65th or 70th birthday any more than one grows up instantly at age 21.

26. After the age of 40,       .
A) most workers are tired of their present jobs
B) many workers tend to stick to their present jobs
C) people find their jobs more rewarding than before
D) people still wish to hunt for more suitable jobs

27. From Heilman's remark, we can see that .
A) full use has been made of the wisdom of older people
B) the wisdom of older people is not valued by American society
C) older people are no less intelligent than young people
D) the wisdom of older people is of great value to American society

28. Tish Sommers argues that       .
A) older women find it hard to escape poverty
B) older women usually perform better in their jobs
C) the major cause of the poverty of older women is sexism
D) more people have come to believe in sexism and ageism

29. According to the third paragraph, it can be seen that older Americans     .
A) have more job opportunities than young people
B) live below the poverty line
C) have new opportunities to remain active in society
D) no longer believe in the promise of a happy life upon retirement

30. It can be concluded from the passage that the writer       .
A) calls attention to the living conditions of older Americans
B) believes that the value of older people is gaining increasing recognition
C) attempts to justify the youth-oriented, throw-away culture of the United States
D) argues people should not retire at the age of 65 or 70

Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage:

The most exciting kind of education is also the most personal. Nothing can exceed the joy of discovering for yourself something that is important to you! It may be an idea or a bit of information you come across accidentally—or a sudden insight, fitting together pieces of information or working through a problem. Such personal encounters are the “payoff” in education. A teacher may direct you to learning and even encourage you in it—but no teacher can make the excitement or the joy happen. That's up to you.
A research paper, assigned in a course and perhaps checked at various stages by an instructor, leads you beyond classrooms, beyond the texts for classes and into a process where the joy of discovery and learning can come to you many times. Preparing the research paper is an active and individual process, and ideal learning process. It provides a structure within which you can make exciting discoveries, of knowledge and of self, that are basic to education. But the research paper also gives you a chance to individualize a school assignment, to suit a piece of work to your own interests and abilities, to show others what you can do. Writing a research paper is more than just a classroom exercise. It is an experience in searching out, understanding and synthesizing, which forms the basis of many skills applicable to both academic and nonacademic tasks. It is, in the fullest sense, a discovering, an education. So, to produce a good research paper is both a useful and a thoroughly satisfying experience!
To some, the thought of having to write an assigned number of pages, often more than ever produced before, is disconcerting. To others, the very idea of having to work independently is threatening. But there is no need to approach the research paper assignment with anxiety, and nobody should view the research paper as an obstacle to overcome. Instead, consider it a goal to accomplish, a goal within reach if you use the help this book can give you.

31. According to the writer, personal discoveries       .
A) will give one encouragement and direction
B) are helpful in finding the right information
C) are the most valuable part of one's personal education
D) will help one to successfully complete school assignments

32. It can be inferred from the passage that writing a research paper gives one chances       .
A) to fully develop one's personal abilities
B) to use the skills learnt in the classroom
C) to prove that one is a productive writer
D) to demonstrate how well one can accomplish school assignment

33. From the context, the word “disconcerting”(Para. 3, Line 2) most probably means     .
A) misleading       B) embarrassing     C) stimulating     D) upsetting

34. The writer argues in the passage that       .
A) one should explore new areas in research
B) one should trust one's own ability to meet course requirements
C) one should consider research paper writing a pleasure, not a burden
D) one should use all one's knowledge and skills when doing research

35. What will probably follow this passage?
A) How to write a research paper.
B) The importance of research in education.
C) How to make new discoveries for oneself.
D) The skill of putting pieces of information together.

Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage:

In our culture, the sources of what we call a sense of “mastery” — feeling important and worthwhile — and the sources of what we call a sense of “pleasure” — finding life enjoyable — are not always identical. Women often are told“You can't have it all.” Sometimes what the speaker really is saying is:“You chose a career, so you can't expect to have closer relationships or a happy family life.” or “You have a wonderful husband and children — what's all this about wanting a career?” But women need to understand and develop both aspects of well-being, if they are to feel good about themselves.
Our study shows that, for women, well-being has two dimensions. One is mastery, which includes self-esteem (自尊), a sense of control over your life, and low levels of anxiety and depression. Mastery is closely related to the “doing” side of life, to work and activity. Pleasure is the other dimension, and it is composed of happiness, satisfaction and optimism (乐观). It is tied more closely to the “feeling” side of life. The two are independent of each other. A woman could be high in mastery and low in pleasure, and vice versa. For example, a woman who has a good job, but whose mother has just died, might be feeling very good about herself and in control of her work life, but the pleasure side could be damaged for a time.
The concepts of mastery and pleasure can help us identify the sources of well-being for women, and remedy past mistakes. In the past, women were encouraged to look only at the feeling side of life as the source of all well-being. But we know that both mastery and pleasure are critical. And mastery seems to be achieved largely through work. In our study, all the groups of employed women rated significantly higher in mastery than did women who were not employed.
A woman's well-being is enhanced (增进) when she takes on multiple roles. At least by middle adulthood, the women who were involved in a combination of roles—marriages, motherhood, and employment—were the highest in well-being, despite warnings about stress and strain.

36. It can be inferred from the first paragraph that       .
A) for women, a sense of “mastery” is more important than a sense of “pleasure”
B) for women, a sense of “pleasure” is more important than a sense of “mastery”
C) women can't have a sense of “mastery” and a sense of “pleasure” at the same time
D) a sense of “mastery” and a sense of “pleasure” are both indispensable to women

37. The author's attitude towards women having a career is     .
A) critical       B) positive       C) neutral         D) realistic

38. One can conclude from the passage that if a woman takes on several social roles,       .
A) it will be easier for her to overcome stress and strain
B) she will be more successful in her career
C) her chances of getting promoted will be greater
D) her life will be richer and more meaningful

39. Which of the following can be identified as a source of “pleasure” for women?
A) Family life.                  C) Multiple roles in society.
B) Regular employment.              D) Freedom from anxiety.

40. The most appropriate title for the passage would be .
A) The well-being of Career Women        C) Two Aspects of Women's Well-Being
B) Sources of Mastery and Pleasure          D) Multiple Roles of Women in Society

Unit 6

Part Ⅱ Reading Comprehension
  (35 minutes)
Directions: There are 4 reading passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.

Passage One
Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage:

The process of perceiving other people is rarely translated (to ourselves or others) into cold, objective terms. “She was 5 feet 8 inches tall, had fair hair, and wore a colored skirt.” More often, we try to get inside the other person to pinpoint his or her attitudes, emotions, motivations, abilities, ideas and characters. Furthermore, we sometimes behave as if we can accomplish this difficult job very quickly — perhaps with a two-second glance.
We try to obtain information about others in many ways. Berger suggests several methods for reducing uncertainties about others: watching, without being noticed, a person interacting with others, particularly with others who are known to you so you can compare the observed person's behavior with the known others' behavior; observing a person in a situation where social behavior is relatively unrestrained or where a wide variety of behavioral responses are called for; deliberately structuring the physical or social environment so as to observe the person's responses to specific stimuli; asking people who have had or have frequent contact with the person about him or her; and using various strategies in face-to-face interaction to uncover information about another person — questions, self-disclosures (自我表露)，and so on. Getting to know someone is a never-ending task, largely because people are constantly changing and the methods we use to obtain information are often imprecise. You may have known someone for ten years and still know very little about him. If we accept the idea that we won't ever fully know another person, it enables us to deal more easily with those things that get in the way of accurate knowledge such as secrets and deceptions. It will also keep us from being too surprised or shocked by seemingly inconsistent behavior. Ironically (讽刺性地), those things that keep us from knowing another person too well (e.g., secrets and deceptions) may be just as important to the development of a satisfying relationship as those things that enable us to obtain accurate knowledge about a person (e.g., disclosures and truthful statements).?

21. The word “pinpoint” (para. 1, Line 3) basically means     .
A) appreciate       B) obtain       C) interpret       D) identify

22. What do we learn from the first paragraph?
A) People are better described in cold, objective terms.
B) The difficulty of getting to know a person is usually underestimated.
C) One should not judge people by their appearances.
D) One is usually subjective when assessing other people's personality.

23. It can be inferred from Berger's suggestions that       .
A) People do not reveal their true self on every occasion.
B) in most cases we should avoid contacting the observed person directly.
C) the best way to know a person is by making comparisons.
D) face-to-face interaction is the best strategy to uncover information about a person

24. In developing personal relationships, secrets and deceptions, in the author's opinion, are     .
A) personal matters that should be seriously dealt with
B) barriers that should be done away with.
C) as significant as disclosures and truthful statements
D) things people should guard against

25. The author's purpose in writing the passage is     .
A) to give advice on appropriate conduct for social occasions
B) to provide ways of how to obtain information about people
C) to call the reader's attention to the negative side of people's characters
D) to discuss the various aspects of getting to know people

Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage:

The competition among producers of personal computers is essentially a race to get the best, most innovative products to the marketplace. Marketers in this environment frequently have to make a judgment as to their competitors' role when making marketing strategy decisions. If major competitors are changing their products, then a marketer may want to follow suit to remain competitive. Apple Computer, Inc. has introduced two new, faster personal computers, the Mackintosh Ⅱ and Mackintosh SE, in anticipation of the introduction of a new PC by IBM, one of Apple's major competitors.
Apple's new computers are much faster and more powerful than its earlier models. The improved Mackintosh is able to run programs that previously were impossible to run on an Apple PC, including IBM-compatible (兼容的) programs. This compatibility feature illustrates computer manufacturers' new attitude of giving customers the features they want. Making Apple computers capable of running IBM software is Apple's effort at making the Mackintosh compatible with IBM computers and thus more popular in the office, where Apple hopes to increase sales. Users of the new Apple can also add accessories (附件) to make their machines specialize in specific uses, such as engineering and writing.
The new computers represent a big improvement over past models, but they also cost much more. Company officials do not think the higher price will slow down buyers who want to step up to a more powerful computer. Apple wants to stay in the High-price end of the personal computer market to finance research for even faster, more sophisticated computers.
Even though Apple and IBM are major competitors, both companies realize that their competitor's computers have certain features that their own models do not. The Apple line has always been popular for its sophisticated color graphics (图形), whereas the IBM machines have always been favored in offices. In the future, there will probably be more compatibility between the two companies' products, which no doubt will require that both Apple and IBM change marketing strategies.

26. According to the passage, Apple Computer, Inc, has introduced the Mackintosh Ⅱ and the Mackintosh SE because     .
A) IBM is changing its computer models continuously
B) it wants to make its machines specialize in specific uses
C) it wants to stay ahead of IBM in the competitive computer market
D) it expects its major competitor IBM to follow its example

27. Apple hopes to increase Mackintosh sales chiefly by     .
A) making its new models capable of running IBM software
B) improving the color graphics of its new models
C) copying the marketing strategies of IBM
D) giving the customers what they want

28. Apple sells its new computer models at a high price because     .
A) they have new features and functions
B) they are more sophisticated than other models
C) they have new accessories attached
D) it wants to accumulate funds for future research

29. It can be inferred from the passage that both Apple and IBM try to gain a competitive advantage by     .
A) copying each other's technology
B) incorporating features that make their products distinctive
C) making their computers more expensive
D) making their computers run much faster

30. The best title for the passage would be     .
A) Apple's Efforts to Stay Ahead of IBM          C) Apple's New personal Computers
B) Apple's New Computer Technology          D) Apple's Research Activities

Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage:

It is a curious paradox that we think of the physical sciences as “hard”, the social sciences as “soft”, and the biological sciences as somewhere in between. This is interpreted to mean that our knowledge of physical systems is more certain than our knowledge of biological systems, and these in turn are more certain than our knowledge of social systems. In terms of our capacity to sample the relevant universes, however, and the probability that our images of these universes are at least approximately correct, one suspects that a reverse order is more reasonable. We are able to sample earth's social systems with some degree of confidence that we have a reasonable sample of the total universe being investigated. Our knowledge of social systems, therefore, while it is in many ways extremely inaccurate, is not likely to be seriously overturned by new discoveries. Even the folk knowledge in social systems on which ordinary life is based in earning, spending, organizing, marrying, taking part in political activities, fighting and so on, is not very dissimilar from the more sophisticated images of the social system derived from the social sciences, even though it is built upon the very imperfect samples of personal experience.
In contrast, our image of the astronomical universe, or even of earth's geological history, can easily be subject to revolutionary changes as new data comes in and new theories are worked out. If we define the “security” our image of various parts of the total system as the probability of their suffering significant changes, then we would reverse the order of hardness and see the social sciences as the most secure, the physical sciences as the least secure, and again the biological sciences as somewhere in between. Our image of the astronomical universe is the least secure of all simply because we observe such a fantastically small sample of it and its record-keeping is trivial as compared with the rich records of the social systems, or even the limited records of biological systems. Records of the astronomical universe, despite the fact that we see distant things as they were long ago, are limited in the extreme.
Even in regard to such a close neighbour as the moon, which we have actually visited, theories about its origin and history are extremely different, contradictory, and hard to choose among. Our knowledge of physical evolution is incomplete and highly insecure.

31. The word “paradox”(Para. 1, Line 1) means “     ”
A) implication     B) contradiction     C) interpretation     D) confusion

32. According to the author, we should reverse our classification of the physical sciences as “hard” and the social sciences as “soft” because       .
A) a reverse ordering will help promote the development of the physical sciences
B) our knowledge of physical systems is more reliable than that of social systems
C) our understanding of the social systems is approximately correct
D) we are better able to investigate social phenomena than physical phenomena

33. The author believes that our knowledge of social systems is more secure than that of physical systems because     .
A) it is not based on personal experience
B) new discoveries are less likely to occur in social sciences
C) it is based on a fairly representative quantity of data
D) the records of social systems are more reliable
34. The chances of the physical sciences being subject to great changes are the biggest because     .
A) contradictory theories keep emerging all the time
B) new information is constantly coming in
C) the direction of their development is difficult to predict
D) our knowledge of the physical world is inaccurate

35. We know less about the astronomical universe than we do about any social system because     .
A) theories of its origin and history are varied
B) our knowledge of it is highly insecure
C) only a very small sample of it has been observed
D) few scientists are involved in the study of astronomy

Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage:

In the early days of nuclear power, the United States made money on it. But today opponents have so complicated its development that no nuclear plants have been ordered or built here in 12 years.
The greatest fear of nuclear power opponents has always been a reactor “meltdown”(堆内熔化). Today, the chances of a meltdown that would threaten U.S. public health are very little. But to even further reduce the possibility, engineers are testing new reactors that rely not on human judgment to shut them down but on the laws of nature. Now General Electric is already building two advanced reactors in Japan. But don't expect them ever on U.S. shores unless things change in Washington.
The procedure for licensing nuclear power plants is a bad dream. Any time during, or even after, construction, an objection by any group or individual can bring everything to a halt while the matter is investigated or taken to court. Meanwhile, the builder must add nice-but-not-necessary improvements, some of which force him to knock down walls and start over. In every case where a plant has been opposed, the Nuclear Regulation Commission has ultimately granted a license to construct or operate. But the victory often costs so much that the utility ends up abandoning the plant anyway.
A case in point is the Shoreham plant on New York's Long Island. Shoreham was a virtual twin to the Millstone plant in Connecticut, both ordered in the mid-'60s. Millstone, completed for $101 million, has been generating electricity for two decades. Shoreham, however, was singled out by anti-nuclear activists who, by sending in endless protests, drove the cost over $5 billion and delayed its use for many years.
Shoreham finally won its operation license. But the plant has never produced a watt of power. Governor Mario Cuomo, an opponent of a Shoreham start-up, used his power to force New York's public-utilities commission to accept the following settlement: the power company could pass the cost of Shoreham along to its consumers only if it agreed not to operate the plant! Today, a perfectly good facility, capable of servicing hundreds of thousands of homes, sits rusting.

36. What has made the procedure for licensing nuclear power plants a bad dream? A) The inefficiency of the Nuclear Regulation commission.
B) The enormous cost of construction and operation.
C) The length of time it takes to make investigations.
D) The objection of the opponents of nuclear power.

37. It can be inferred from Paragraph 2 that       .
A) it is not technical difficulties that prevent the building of nuclear power plants in the U.S.
B) there are not enough safety measures in the U.S. for running new nuclear power plants
C) there are already more nuclear power plants than necessary in the U.S.
D) the American government will not allow Japanese nuclear reactors to be installed in the U.S.

38. Any objection, however trivial it may be, can       .
A) force the power companies to cancel the project
B) delay the construction or operation of a nuclear plant
C) cause a serious debate within the Nuclear Regulation Commission
D) take the builders to court

39. Governor Mario's chief intention in proposing the settlement was to       .
A) stop the Shoreham plant from going into operation
B) help the power company to solve its financial problems
C) urge the power company to further increase its power supply
D) permit the shoreham plant to operate under certain conditions

40. The author's attitude towards the development of nuclear power is     .
A) negative       B) neutral       C) positive       D) questioning

Unit 7

Part Ⅱ Reading Comprehension
  (35 minutes)
Directions: There are 4 reading passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.

Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage:

A new era is upon us. Call it what you will: the service economy, the information age, the knowledge society. It all translates to a fundamental change in the way we work. Already we're partly there. The percentage of people who earn their living by making things has fallen dramatically in the Western World. Today the majority of jobs in America, Europe and Japan (two thirds or more in many of these countries) are in the service industry, and the number is on the rise. More women are in the work force than ever before. There are more part-time jobs. More people are self-employed. But the breadth of the economic transformation can't be measured by numbers alone, because it also is giving rise to a radical new way of thinking about the nature of work itself. Long-held notions about jobs and careers, the skills needed to succeed, even the relation between individuals and employers — all these are being challenged.
We have only to look behind us to get some sense of what may lie ahead. No one looking ahead 20 years possibly could have foreseen the ways in which a single invention, the chip， would transform our world thanks to its applications in personal computers, digital communications and factory robots. Tomorrow's achievements in biotechnology, artificial intelligence or even some still unimagined technology could produce a similar wave of dramatic changes. But one thing is certain: information and knowledge will become even more vital, and the people who possess it, whether they work in manufacturing or services, will have the advantage and produce the wealth. Computer knowledge will become as basic a requirement as the ability to read and write. The ability to solve problems by applying information instead of performing routine tasks will be valued above all else. If you cast your mind ahead 10 years, information services will be predominant. It will be the way you do your job.

21. A characteristic of the information age is that       .
A) the service industry is relying more and more on the female work force
B) manufacturing industries are steadily increasing
C) people find it harder and harder to earn a living by working in factories
D) most of the job opportunities can now be found in the service industry

22. One of the great changes brought about by the knowledge society is that     .
A) the difference between the employee and the employer has become insignificant
B) people's traditional concepts about work no longer hold true
C) most people have to take part-time jobs
D) people have to change their jobs from time to time

23. By referring to computers and other inventions, the author means to say that     .
A) people should be able to respond quickly to the advancement of technology
B) future achievements in technology will bring about inconceivable dramatic changes
C) the importance of high technology has been overlooked
D) computer science will play a leading role in the future information services

24. The future will probably belong to those who       .
A) possess and know how to make use of information
B) give full play to their brain potential
C) involve themselves in service industries
D) cast their minds ahead instead of looking back

25. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A) Computers and the Knowledge Society
B) Service Industries in Modern Society
C) Features and Implications of the New Era
D) Rapid Advancement of Information Technology

Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage:

Beauty has always been regarded as something praiseworthy. Almost everyone thinks attractive people are happier and healthier, have better marriages and have more respectable occupations. Personal consultants give them better advice for finding jobs. Even judges are softer on attractive defendants (被告). But in the executive circle, beauty can become a liability.
While attractiveness is a positive factor for a man on his way up the executive ladder, it is harmful to a woman.
Handsome male executives were perceived as having more integrity than plainer men; effort and ability were thought to account for their success.
Attractive female executives were considered to have less integrity than unattractive ones; their success was attributed not to ability but to factors such as luck.
All unattractive women executives were thought to have more integrity and to be more capable than the attractive female executives. Interestingly, though, the rise of the unattractive overnight successes was attributed more to personal relationships and less to ability than was that of attractive overnight successes.?
Why are attractive women not thought to be able? An attractive woman is perceived to be more feminine and an attractive man more masculine than the less attractive ones. Thus, an attractive woman has an advantage in traditionally female jobs, but an attractive woman in a traditionally masculine position appears to lack the “masculine” qualities required.?
This is true even in politics.“When the only clue is how he or she looks, people treat men and women differently,” says Anne Bowman, who recently published a study on the effects of attractiveness on political candidates. She asked 125 undergraduate students to rank two groups of photographs, one of men and one of women, in order of attractiveness. The students were told the photographs were of candidates for political offices. They were asked to rank them again, in the order they would vote for them.
The results showed that attractive males utterly defeated unattractive men, but the women who had been ranked most attractive invariably received the fewest votes.

26. The word “liability”(Para.1, Line 5) most probably means “     .”
A) misfortune                              C) disadvantage
B) instability                              D) burden

27. In traditionally female jobs, attractiveness     .
A) reinforces the feminine qualities required
B) makes women look more honest and capable
C) is of primary importance to women
D) often enables women to succeed quickly

28. Bowman's experiment reveals that when it comes to politics, attractiveness     .
A) turns out to be an obstacle to men
B) affects men and women alike
C) has as little effect on men as on women
D) is more of an obstacle than a benefit to women

29. It can be inferred from the passage that people's views on beauty are often     .
A) practical                              C) old-fashioned
B) prejudiced                              D) radical

30. The author writes this passage to       .
A) discuss the negative aspects of being attractive
B) give advice to job-seekers who are attractive
C) demand equal rights for women
D) emphasize the importance of appearance

Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage:

The importance and focus of the interview in the work of the print and broadcast journalist is reflected in several books that have been written on the topic. Most of these books, as well as several chapters, mainly in, but not limited to, journalism and broadcasting handbooks and reporting texts, stress the “how to”aspects of journalistic interviewing rather than the conceptual aspects of the interview, its context, and implications. Much of the “how to” material is based on personal experiences and general impressions. As we know, in journalism as in other fields, much can be learned from the systematic study of professional practice. Such study brings together evidence from which broad generalized principles can be developed.
There is, as has been suggested, a growing body of research literature in journalism and broadcasting, but very little significant attention has been devoted to the study of the interview itself. On the other hand, many general texts as well as numerous research articles on interviewing in fields other than journalism have been written. Many of these books and articles present the theoretical and empirical aspects of the interview as well as the training of the interviewers. Unhappily, this plentiful general literature about interviewing pays little attention to the journalistic interview. The fact that the general literature on interviewing does not deal with the journalistic interview seems to be surprising for two reasons. First, it seems likely that most people in modern Western societies are more familiar, at least in a positive manner, with journalistic interviewing than with any other form of interviewing. Most of us are probably somewhat familiar with the clinical interview, such as that conducted by physicians and psychologists. In these situations the professional person or interviewer is interested in getting information necessary for the diagnosis (诊断) and treatment of the person seeking help. Another familiar situation is the job interview. However, very few of us have actually been interviewed personally by the mass media, particularly by television. And yet, we have a vivid acquaintance with the journalistic interview by virtue of our roles as readers, listeners, and viewers. Even so, true understanding of the journalistic interview, especially television interviews, requires thoughtful analyses and even study, as this book indicates.

31. The main idea of the first paragraph is that     .
A) generalized principles for journalistic interviews are the chief concern for writers on journalism
B) importance should be attached to the systematic study of journalistic interviewing
C) concepts and contextual implications are of secondary importance to journalistic interviewing
D) personal experiences and general impressions should be excluded from journalistic interviews

32. Much research has been done on interviews in general     .
A) so the training of journalistic interviewers has likewise been strengthened
B) though the study of the interviewing techniques hasn't received much attention
C) but journalistic interviewing as a specific field has unfortunately been neglected
D) and there has also been a dramatic growth in the study of journalistic interviewing

33. Westerners are familiar with the journalistic interview,     .
A) but most of them wish to stay away from it
B) and many of them hope to be interviewed some day
C) and many of them would like to acquire a true understanding of it
D) but most of them may not have been interviewed in person

34. Who is the interviewee in a clinical interview?
A) The patient.                          C) The journalist.
B) The physician.                          D) The psychologist.

35. The passage is most likely a part of       .
A) a news article                          C) a research report
B) a journalistic interview                      D) a preface

Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage:

The relationship between the home and market economies has gone through two distinct stages. Early industrialization began the process of transferring some production processes (e.g. cloth making, sewing and canning foods) from the home to the marketplace. Although the home economy could still produce these goods, the processes were laborious (费力的) and the market economy was usually more efficient. Soon, the more important second stage was evident — the marketplace began producing goods and services that had never been produced by the home economy, and the home economy was unable to produce them (e.g. electricity and electrical appliances, the automobile, advanced education, sophisticated medical care). In the second stage, the question of whether the home economy was less efficient in producing these new goods and services was irrelevant; if the family were to enjoy these fruits of industrialization, they would have to be obtained in the marketplace. The traditional ways of taking care of these needs in the home, such as in nursing the sick, became socially unacceptable (and, in most serious cases, probably less successful). Just as the appearance of the automobile made the use of the horse-drawn carriage illegal and then impractical, and the appearance of television changed the radio from a source of entertainment to a source of background music, so most of the fruits of economic growth did not increase the options available to the home economy to either produce the goods or services or purchase them in the market. Growth brought with it increased variety in consumer goods, but not increased flexibility for the home economy in obtaining these goods and services. Instead, economic growth brought with it increased consumer reliance on the marketplace. In order to consume these new goods and services, the family had to enter the marketplace as wage earners and consumers. The neoclassical (新古典[屏蔽]的) model that views the family as deciding whether to produce goods and services directly or to purchase them in the marketplace is basically a model of the first stage. It cannot accurately be applied to the second (and current) stage.

36. The reason why many production processes were taken over by the marketplace was that     .
A) it was a necessary step in the process of industrialization
B) they depended on electricity available only to the market economy
C) it was troublesome to produce such goods in the home
D) the marketplace was more efficient with respect to processes

37. It can be seen from the passage that in the second stage       .
A) some traditional goods and services were not successful when provided by the home economy
B) the market economy provided new goods and services never produced by the home economy
C) producing traditional goods at home became socially unacceptable
D) whether new goods and services were produced by the home economy became irrelevant

38. During the second stage, if the family wanted to consume new goods and services, they had to enter the marketplace     .
A) as wage earners                  C) both as workers and purchasers
B) both as manufacturers and consumers          D) as customers

39. Economic growth did not make it more flexible for the home economy to obtain the new goods and services because       .
A) the family was not efficient in production
B) it was illegal for the home economy to produce them
C) it could not supply them by itself
D) the market for these goods and services was limited

40. The neoclassical model is basically a model of the first stage, because at this stage       .
A) the family could rely either on the home economy or on the marketplace for the needed goods and services
B) many production processes were being transferred to the marketplace
C) consumers relied more and more on the market economy
D) the family could decide how to transfer production processes to the marketplace


Unit 8

Part Ⅱ Reading Comprehension
  (35 minutes)
Directions: There are 4 passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.

Passage One
Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage:

Material culture refers to the touchable, material “things” — physical objects that can be seen, held, felt, used — that a culture produces. Examining a culture's tools and technology can tell us about the group's history and way of life. Similarly, research into the material culture of music can help us to understand the music-culture. The most vivid body of “things” in it, of course, are musical instruments. We cannot hear for ourselves the actual sound of any musical performance before the 1870s when the phonograph (留声机) was invented, so we rely on instruments for important information about music-cultures in the remote past and their development. Here we have two kinds of evidence: instruments well preserved and instruments pictured in art. Through the study of instruments, as well as paintings, written documents, and so on, we can explore the movement of music from the Near East to China over a thousand years ago, or we can outline the spread of Near Eastern influence to Europe that resulted in the development of most of the instruments on the symphony orchestra.
Sheet music or printed music, too, is material culture. Scholars once defined folk music cultures as those in which people learn and sing music by ear rather than from print, but research shows mutual influence among oral and written sources during the past few centuries in Europe, Britain, and America. Printed versions limit variety because they tend to standardize any song, yet they stimulate people to create new and different songs. Besides, the ability to read music notation (乐谱) has a far-reaching effect on musicians and, when it becomes widespread, on the music-culture as a whole.
One more important part of music's material culture should be singled out: the influence of the electronic media — radio, record player, tape recorder, television, and videocassette, with the future promising talking and singing computers and other developments. This is all part of the “information revolution,” a twentieth-century phenomenon as important as the industrial revolution was in the nineteenth. These electronic media are not just limited to modern nations; they have affected music-cultures all over the globe.

21. Research into the material culture of a nation is of great importance because       .
A) it helps produce new cultural tools and technology
B) it can reflect the development of the nation
C) it helps understand the nation's past and present
D) it can demonstrate the nation's civilization
22. It can be learned from this passage that       .
A) the existence of the symphony was attributed to the spread of Near Eastern and Chinese music
B) Near Eastern music had an influence on the development of the instruments in the symphony orchestra
C) the development of the symphony shows the mutual influence of Eastern and Western music
D) the musical instruments in the symphony orchestra were developed on the basis of Near Eastern music

23. According to the author, music notation is important because     .
A) it has a great effect on the music-culture as more and more people are able to read it
B) it tends to standardize folk songs when it is used by folk musicians
C) it is the printed version of standardized folk music
D) it encourages people to popularize printed versions of songs

24. It can be concluded from the passage that the introduction of electronic media into the world of music       .
A) has brought about an information revolution
B) has speeded up the arrival of a new generation of computers
C) has given rise to new forms of music culture
D) has led to the transformation of traditional musical instruments

25. Which of the following best summarizes the main idea of the passage?
A) Musical instruments developed through the years will sooner or later be replaced by computers.
B) Music cannot be passed on to future generations unless it is recorded.
C) Folk songs cannot be spread far unless they are printed on music sheets.
D) The development of music culture is highly dependent on its material aspect.
Passage Two
Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage:

The question of whether war is inevitable is one which has concerned many of the world's great writers. Before considering this question, it will be useful to introduce some related concepts. Conflict, defined as opposition among social entities directed against one another, is distinguished from competition, defined as opposition among social entities independently striving for something which is in inadequate supply. Competitors may not be aware of one another, while the parties to a conflict are. Conflict and competition are both categories of opposition, which has been defined as a process by which social entities function in the disservice of one another. Opposition is thus contrasted with cooperation, the process by which social entities function in the service of one another. These definitions are necessary because it is important to emphasize that competition between individuals or groups is inevitable in a world of limited resources, but conflict is not. Conflict, nevertheless, is very likely to occur, and is probably an essential and desirable element of human societies.
Many authors have argued for the inevitability of war from the premise that in the struggle for existence among animal species, only the fittest survive. In general, however, this struggle in nature is competition, not conflict. Social animals, such as monkeys and cattle, fight to win or maintain leadership of the group. The struggle for existence occurs not in such fights, but in the competition for limited feeding areas and for the occupancy (占有) of areas free from meat-eating animals. Those who fail in this competition starve to death or become victims to other species. This struggle for existence does not resemble human war, but rather the competition of individuals for jobs, markets, and materials. The essence of the struggle is the competition for the necessities of life that are insufficient to satisfy all.
Among nations there is competition in developing resources, trades, skills, and a satisfactory way of life. The successful nations grow and prosper (繁荣)；the unsuccessful decline. While it is true that this competition may induce efforts to expand territory at the expense of othes, and thus lead to conflict, it cannot be said that war-like conflict among nations is inevitable, although competition is.

26. In the first paragraph, the author gives the definitions of some terms in order to     .
A) argue for the similarities between animal societies and human societies
B) smooth out the conflicts in human societies
C) distinguish between two kinds of opposition
D) summarize the characteristic features of opposition and cooperation

27. According to the author, competition differs from conflict in that     .
A) it results in war in most cases
B) it induces efforts to expand territory
C) it is a kind of opposition among social entities
D) it is essentially a struggle for existence

28. The phrase “function in the disservice of one another” (Para 7, Line.1) most probably means “       ”.
A) betray each other                  C) help to collaborate with each other
B) harm one another                  D) benefit one another

29. The author indicates in the passage that conflict       .
A) is an inevitable struggle resulting from competition
B) reflects the struggle among social animals
C) is an opposition among individual social entities
D) can be avoided

30. The passage is probably intended to answer the question “       ”.
A) Is war inevitable?              C) Is conflict desirable?
B) Why is there conflict and competition?      D) Can competition lead to conflict?

Passage Three
Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage:

As Dr. Samuel Johnson said in a different era about ladies preaching, the surprising thing about computers is not that they think less well than a man, but that they think at all. The early electronic computer did not have much going for it except a marvelous memory and some good math skills. But today the best models can be wired up to learn by experience, follow an argument, ask proper questions and write poetry and music. They can also carry on somewhat puzzling conversations.
Computers imitate life. As computers get more complex, the imitation gets better. Finally, the line between the original and the copy becomes unclear. In another 15 years or so, we will see the computer as a new form of life.
The opinion seems ridiculous because, for one thing, computers lack the drives and emotions of living creatures. But drives can be programmed into the computer's brain just as nature programmed them into our human brains as a part of the equipment for survival.
Computers match people in some roles, and when fast decisions are needed in a crisis, they often surpass them. Having evolved when the pace of life was slower, the human brain has an inherent defect that prevents it from absorbing several streams of information simultaneously and acting on them quickly. Throw too many things at the brain at one time and it freezes up.
We are still in control, but the capabilities of computers are increasing at a fantastic rate, while raw human intelligence is changing slowly, if at all. Computer power has increased ten times every eight years since 1946. In the 1990s, when the sixth generation appears, the reasoning power of an intelligence built out of silicon will begin to match that of the human brain.
That does not mean the evolution of intelligence has ended on the earth. Judging by the past, we can expect that a new species will arise out of man, surpassing his achievements as he has surpassed those of his predecessor. Only a carbon chemistry enthusiast would assume that the new species must be man's flesh-and-blood descendants. The new kind of intelligent life is more likely to be made of silicon.

31. What do you suppose was the attitude of Dr. Samuel Johnson towards ladies preaching?
A) He believed that ladies were born worse preachers than men.
B) He was pleased that ladies could preach, though not as well as men.
C) He disapproved of ladies preaching.
D) He encouraged ladies to preach.

32. Today, computers are still inferior to man in terms of     .
A) decision making                  C) growth of reasoning power
B) drives and feelings                  D) information absorption

33. In terms of making quick decisions, the human brain cannot be compared with the computer because       .
A) in the long process of evolution the slow pace of life didn't require such ability of the human brain
B) the human brain is influenced by other factors such as motivation and emotion
C) the human brain may sometimes freeze up in a dangerous situation
D) computers imitate life while the human brain does not imitate computers

34. Though he thinks highly of the development of computer science, the author doesn't mean that       .
A) computers are likely to become a new form of intelligent life
B) human beings have lost control of computers
C) the intelligence of computers will eventually surpass that of human beings
D) the evolution of intelligence will probably depend on that of electronic brains

35. According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
A) Future man will be made of silicon instead of flesh and blood.
B) Some day it will be difficult to tell a computer from a man.
C) The reasoning power of computers has already surpassed that of man.
D) Future intelligent life may not necessarily be made of organic matter.

Passage Four
Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage:

Video recorders and photocopiers, even ticket machines on the railways, often seem unnecessarily difficult to use. Last December I bought myself a video cassette recorder (VCR) described as “simple to use”. In the first three weeks I failed repeatedly to program the machine to record from the TV, and after months of practice I still made mistakes. I am not alone. According to a survey last year by Ferguson, the British manufacturer, more than one in four VCR owners never use the timer (定时器) on their machines to record a programme: they don't use it because they've found it far too hard to operate.
So why do manufacturers keep on designing and producing VCRS that are awkward to use if the problems are so obvious? First, the problems we notice are not obvious to technically minded (有技术思想的) designers with years of experience and trained to understand how appliances work. Secondly, designers tend to add one or two features at a time to each model, whereas you or I face all a machine's features at once. Thirdly, although finding problems in a finished product is easy, it is too late by then to do anything about the design. Finally, if manufacturers can get away with selling products that are difficult to use, it is not worth the effort of any one of them to make improvements.
Some manufacturers say they concentrate on providing a wide range of features rather than on making the machines easy to use. But that gives rise to the question, “Why can't you have features that are easy to use?” The answer is you can.   Good design practice is a mixture of specific procedures and general principles. For a start, designers should build an original model of the machine and try it out on typical members of the public—not on colleagues in the development laboratory. Simple public trials would quickly reveal many design mistakes. In an ideal world, there would be some ways of controlling quality such as that the VCR must be redesigned repeatedly until, say, 90 per cent of users can work 90 per cent of the features correctly 90 per cent of the time.

36. The author had trouble operating his VCR because       .?
A) he had neglected the importance of using the timer
B) the machine had far more technical features than necessary
C) he had set about using it without proper training
D) its operation was far more difficult than the designer intended it to be

37. According to the author, manufacturers     .
A) should add more useful features to their machines
B) often fail to make their products easy to use
C) should make their appliances as attractive as possible
D) often fail to provide proper training in the use of their products

38. It seems that manufacturers will remain reluctant to make improvements unless     .
A) they can do so at a very low cost
B) they find their machines hard to operate
C) they have difficulty selling their products
D) they receive a lot of complaints about their machines

39. According to the passage, before a VCR is sold on the market, its original model should be tried out       .
A) among ordinary consumers who are not technically minded
B) among people who are technically minded
C) among experienced technicians and potential users
D) among people who are in charge of public relations

40. One of the reasons why VCRs are so difficult to use is that     .
A) the designers are often insensitive to the operational complexities of their machines.
B) the range of features provided is unlimited
C) there is no ideal way of controlling quality
D) their designers often ignore the complaints of their users

Unit 9

Part Ⅱ Reading Comprehension
  (35 minutes)
Directions: There are 4 reading passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.

Passage One
Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage:

Three English dictionaries published recently all lay claim to possessing a “new” feature. The BBC English Dictionary contains background information on 1,000 people and places prominent in the news since 1988; the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary: Encyclopedic (百科全书的) Edition is the OALD plus encyclopedic entries; the Longman Dictionary of English Language and Culture is the LDOCE plus cultural information.
The key fact is that all three dictionaries can be seen to have a distinctly “cultural” as well as language learning content. That being said, the way in which they approach the cultural element is not identical, making direct comparisons between the three difficult.
While there is some common ground between the encyclopedic/cultural entries for the Oxford and Longman dictionaries, there is a clear difference. Oxford lays claim to being encyclopedic on content whereas Longman distinctly concentrates on the language and culture of the English-speaking world. The Oxford dictionary can therefore stand more vigorous scrutiny (审视) for cultural bias than the Longman publication because the latter does not hesitate about viewing the rest of the world from the cultural perspectives of the English-speaking world. The cultural objectives of the BBC dictionary are in turn more distinct still. Based on an analysis of over 70 million words recorded from the BBC World Service and National Public Radio of Washington over a period of four years, their 1,000 brief encyclopedic entries are based on people and places that have featured (占显著地位) in the news recently. The intended user they have in mind is a regular listener to the World Service who will have a reasonable standard of English and a developed skill in listening comprehension.
In reality, though, the BBC dictionary will be purchased by a far wider range of language learners, as will the other two dictionaries. We will be faced with a situation where many of the users of these dictionaries will at the very least have distinct socio-cultural perspectives and may have world views which are totally opposed and even hostile to those of the West. Advanced learners from this kind of background will not only evaluate a dictionary on how user-friendly it is but will also have definite views about the scope and appropriateness of the various socio-cultural entries.

21. What feature sets apart the three dictionaries discussed in the passage from traditional ones?
A) The combination of two dictionaries into one
B) The new approach to defining words
C) The inclusion of cultural content
D) The increase in the number of entries

22. The Longman dictionary is more likely to be criticized for cultural prejudice because       .
A) its scope of cultural entries goes beyond the culture of the English-speaking world
B) it pays little attention to the cultural content of the non-English-speaking countries
C) it views the world purely from the standpoint of the English-speaking people
D) it fails to distinguish language from culture in its encyclopedic entries

23. The BBC dictionary differs from Oxford and Longman in that     .
A) it has a wider selection Of encyclopedic entries
B) it is mainly designed to meet the needs of radio listeners
C) it lays more emphasis on language than on culture
D) it is intended to help listeners develop their listening comprehension skills

24. It is implied in the last paragraph that, in approaching socio-cultural content in a dictionary, special thought should be given to       .
A) the language levels of its users
B) the number of its prospective purchasers
C) the different tastes of its users
D) the various cultural backgrounds of its users

25. What is the passage mainly about?
A) Different ways of treating socio-cultural elements in the three new English dictionaries.
B) A comparison of people's opinions on the cultural content in the three new English dictionaries.
C) The advantages of the BBC dictionary over Oxford and Longman.
D) The user-friendliness of the three new English dictionaries.

Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage:

Real policemen hardly recognize any resemblance between their lives and what they see on TV.
The first difference is that a policeman's real life revolves round criminal law. He has to know exactly what actions are crimes and what evidence can be used to prove them in court. He has to know nearly as much law as a professional lawyer, and what is more, he has to apply it on his feet, in the dark and rain, running down a street after someone he wants to talk to.
Little of his time is spent in chatting. He will spend most of his working life typing millions of words on thousands of forms about hundreds of sad, unimportant people who are guilty of stupid, petty crimes.
Most television crime drama is about finding the criminal: as soon as he's arrested, the story is over. In real life, finding criminals is seldom much of a problem. Except in very serious cases like murders and terrorist attacks little effort is spent on searching.
Having made an arrest, a detective really starts to work. He has to prove his case in court and to do that he often has to gather a lot of different evidence.?
A third big difference between the drama detective and the real one is the unpleasant pressures: first, as members of a police force they always have to behave absolutely in accordance with the law. Secondly, as expensive public servants they have to get results. They can hardly ever do both. Most of the time some of them have to break the rules in small ways.
If the detective has to deceive the world, the world often deceives him. Hardly anyone he meets tells him the truth. And this separation the detective feels between himself and the rest of the world is deepened by the simple-mindedness — as he sees it — of citizens, social workers, doctors, law-makers, and judges, who, instead of eliminating crime punish the criminals less severely in the hope that this will make them reform. The result, detectives feel, is that nine-tenths of their work is re-catching people who should have stayed behind bars. This makes them rather cynical (愤世嫉俗的).

26. A policeman has to be trained in criminal law because     .
A) he must work hard to help reform criminals
B) he must behave as professional lawyers do
C) he must be able to tell when and where a crime is committed
D) he must justify the arrests he makes of criminals

27. What is the most suitable word that describes the work of a policeman according to the passage?
A) Dangerous       B) Demanding       C) Distressing       D) Dramatic

28. According to the passage, policemen spend most of their time and efforts     .
A) patrolling the street, rain or shine          C) collecting and providing evidence
B) tracking and arresting criminals              D) consulting the rules of law

29. What's the policeman's biggest headache?
A) He has to get the most desirable results without breaking the law in any way.
B) He has to justify his arrests while unable to provide sufficient evidence in most cases.
C) He can hardly find enough time to learn criminal law while burdened with numerous criminal cases
D) He has to provide the best possible public service at the least possible expense

30. Why do policemen feel separated from the rest of the world?
A) Because they do not receive due support from society.
B) Because they find people insincere to them.
C) Because they feel superior to simple-minded people around them.
D) Because they are suspicious of the people around them.

Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage:

To live in the United States today is to gain an appreciation for Dahrendorf's assertion that social change exists everywhere. Technology, the application of knowledge for practical ends, is a major source of social change.
Yet we would do well to remind ourselves that technology is a human creation; it does not exist naturally. A spear or a robot is as much a cultural as a physical object. Until humans use a spear to hunt game or a robot to produce machine parts, neither is much more than a solid mass of matter. For a bird looking for an object on which to rest, a spear or robot serves the purpose equally well. The explosion of the Challenger space shuttle (挑战者号航天飞机) and the Russian nuclear accident at Chernobyl drive home the human quality of technology; they provide cases in which well-planned systems suddenly went haywire (变得混乱) and there was no ready hand to set them right. Since technology is a human creation, We are responsible for what is done with it. Pessimists worry that we will use out technology eventually to blow our world and ourselves to pieces. But they have been saying this for decades, and so far we have managed to survive and even flourish. Whether we will continue to do so in the years ahead remains uncertain. Clearly, the impact of technology on our lives deserves a closer examination.?
Few technological developments have had a greater impact on our lives than the computer revolution. Scientists and engineers have designed specialized machines that can do the tasks that once only people could do. There are those who assert that the switch to an information-based economy is in the same camp as other great historical milestones, particularly the Industrial Revolution. Yet when we ask why the Industrial Revolution was a revolution, we find that it was not the machines. The primary reason why it was revolutionary is that it led to great social change. It gave rise to mass production and, through mass production, to a society in which wealth was not confined to the few.?
In somewhat similar fashion, computers promise to revolutionize the structure of American life, particularly as they free the human mind and open new possibilities in knowledge and communication. The Industrial Revolution supplemented and replaced the muscles of humans and animals by mechanical methods. The computer extends this development to supplement and replace some aspects of the mind of human beings by electronic methods. It is the capacity of the computer for solving problems and making decisions that represents its greatest potential and that poses the greatest difficulties in predicting the impact on society.

31. A spear or a robot has the quality of technology only when it     .
A) is used both as a cultural and a physical object
B) serves different purposes equally well
C) is utilized by man
D) can be of use to both man and animal

32. The examples of the Challenger and Chernobyl cited by the author serve
to show that       .
A) if not given close examination, technology could be used to destroy our world B) technology is a human creation, so we are responsible for it
C) technology usually goes wrong, if not controlled by man
D) being a human creation, technology is liable to error

33. According to the author, the introduction of the computer is a revolution mainly because     .
A) the computer has revolutionized the workings of the human mind
B) the computer can do the tasks that could only be done by people before
C) it has helped to switch to an information technology
D) it has a great potential impact on society

34. By using the phrase “the human quality of technology” (Para. 2, Lines6-7), the author refers to the fact that technology     .
A) has a great impact on human life
B) has some characteristics of human nature
C) can replace some aspects of the human mind
D) does not exist in the natural world

35. The passage is based on the author's     .
A) keen insight into the nature of technology
B) prejudiced criticism of the role of the Industrial Revolution
C) cautious analysis of the replacement of the human mind by computers
D) exaggerated description of the negative consequences of technology

Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage:

Now custom has not been commonly regarded as a subject of any great importance. The inner workings of our own brains we feel to be uniquely worthy of investigation, but custom, we have a way of thinking, is behavior at its most common place. As a matter of fact, it is the other way around. Traditional custom, taken the world over, is a mass of detailed behavior more astonishing than what any one person can ever evolve in individual actions. Yet that is a rather trivial aspect of the matter. The fact of first-rate importance is the predominant role that custom plays in experience and in belief and the very great varieties it may manifest.?
No man ever looks at the world with pristine(未受外界影响的) eyes. He sees it edited by a definite set of customs and institutions and ways of thinking. Even in his philosophical probings he cannot go behind these stereotypes (固定的模式)；his very concepts of the true and the false will still have reference to his particular traditional customs. John Dewey has said in all seriousness that the part played by custom in shaping the behavior of the individual as over against any way in which he can affect traditional custom, is as the proportion of the total vocabulary of his mother tongue over against those words of his own baby talk that are taken up into the language of his family. When one seriously studies social orders that have had the opportunity to develop independently, the figure (这种比喻) becomes no more than an exact and matter-of-fact observation. The life history of the individual is first and foremost an adjustment to the patterns and standards traditionally handed down in his community. From the moment of his birth the customs into which he is born shape his experience and behavior. By the time he can talk, he is the little creature of his culture, and by the time he is grown and able to take part in its activities, its habits are his habits, its beliefs his beliefs, its impossibilities his impossibilities.?

36.   The author thinks the reason why custom has been ignored in the academic world is that     .
A) custom reveals only the superficial nature of human behavior
B) the study of social orders can replace the study of custom
C) people are still not aware of the important role that custom plays in forming our world outlook
D) custom has little to do with our ways of thinking

37. Which of the following is true according to John Dewey?
A) An individual can exercise very little influence on the cultural tradition into which he is born.
B) Custom is the direct result of the philosophical probings of a group of people.
C) An individual is strongly influenced by the cultural tradition even before he is born.
D) Custom represents the collective wisdom which benefits the individual.

38. The word “custom” in this passage most probably means     .
A) the concept of the true and the false of a society
B) the independently developed social orders
C) the adjustment of the individual to the new social environment
D) the patterns and standards of behavior of a community

39. According to the passage, a person's life, from his birth to his death,     .
A) is constantly shaping the cultural traditions of his people
B) is predominated by traditional custom
C) is continually influenced by the habits of other communities
D) is chiefly influenced by the people around him.

40. The author's purpose in writing this passage is       .
A) to urge individuals to follow traditional customs
B) to stress the strong influence of customs on an individual
C) to examine the interaction of man and social customs
D) to show man's adjustment to traditional customs

Unit 10

Part Ⅱ Reading Comprehension

  (35 minutes)
Directions: There are 4 passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.

Passage One
Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage:

More and more, the operations of our businesses, governments, and financial institutions are controlled by information that exists only inside computer memories. Anyone clever enough to modify this information for his own purposes can reap substantial rewards. Even worse, a number of people who have done this and been caught at it have managed to get away without punishment.
It's easy for computer crimes to go undetected if no one checks up on what the computer is doing. But even if the crime is detected, the criminal may walk away not only unpunished but with a glowing recommendation from his former employers.     Of course, we have no statistics on crimes that go undetected. But it's disturbing to note how many of the crimes we do know about were detected by accident, not by systematic inspections or other security procedures. The computer criminals who have been caught may be the victims of uncommonly bad luck.?
For example, a certain keypunch (键盘打孔) operator complained of having to stay overtime to punch extra cards. Investigation revealed that the extra cards she was being asked to punch were for dishonest transactions. In another case, dissatisfied employees of the thief tipped off? (向……透露) the company that was being robbed.
Unlike other lawbreakers, who must leave the country, commit suicide, or go to jail, computer criminals sometimes escape punishment, demanding not only that they not be charged but that they be given good recommendations and perhaps other benefits. All too often, their demands have been met.?
Why? Because company executives are afraid of the bad publicity that would result if the public found out that their computer had been misused. They hesitate at the thought of a criminal boasting in open court of how he juggled (耍弄) the most confidential records right under the noses of the company's executives, accountants, and security staff. And so another computer criminal departs with just the recommendations he needs to continue his crimes elsewhere.?

21. It can be concluded from the passage that     .
A) it is still impossible to detect computer crimes today
B) computer crimes are the most serious problem in the operation of financial institutions
C) computer criminals can escape punishment because they can't be detected
D) people commit computer crimes at the request of their company

22. It is implied in the third paragraph that       .
A) many more computer crimes go undetected than are discovered
B) the rapid increase of computer crimes is a troublesome problem
C) most computer criminals are smart enough to cover up their crimes
D) most computer criminals who are caught blame their bad luck

23. Which of the following is mentioned in the passage?
A) A strict law against computer crimes must be enforced.
B) Companies need to impose restrictions on confidential information.
C) Companies will guard against computer crimes to protect their reputation.
D) Companies usually hesitate to uncover computer crimes.

24. What may happen to computer criminals once they are caught?
A) With a bad reputation they can hardly find another job.
B) They will be denied access to confidential records.
C) They may walk away and easily find another job.
D) They must leave the country or go to jail.

25. The passage is mainly about     .
A) why computer crimes are difficult to detect by systematic inspections
B) why computer criminals are often able to escape punishment
C) how computer criminals manage to get good recommendation from their former employers
D) why computer crimes can't be eliminated

Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage:
It is often claimed that nuclear energy is something we cannot do without. We live in a consumer society where there is an enormous demand for commercial products of all kinds. Moreover, an increase in industrial production is considered to be one solution to the problem of mass unemployment. Such an increase presumes an abundant and cheap energy supply. Many people believe that nuclear energy provides an inexhaustible and economical source of power and that it is therefore essential for an industrially developing society. There are a number of other advantages in the use of nuclear energy. Firstly, nuclear power, except for accidents, is clean. A further advantage is that a nuclear power station can be run and maintained by relatively few technical and administrative staff. The nuclear reactor represents an enormous step in our scientific evolution and, whatever the anti-nuclear group says, it is wrong to expect a return to more primitive sources of fuel. However, opponents of nuclear energy point out that nuclear power stations bring a direct threat not only to the environment but also to civil liberties. Furthermore, it is questionable whether ultimately nuclear power is a cheap source of energy. There have, for example, been very costly accidents in America, in Britain and, of course, in Russia. The possibility of increases in the cost of uranium(铀) in addition to the cost of greater safety provisions could price nuclear power out of the market. In the long run, environmentalists argue, nuclear energy wastes valuable resources and disturbs the ecology to an extent which could bring about the destruction of the human race. Thus if we wish to survive, we cannot afford nuclear energy. In spite of the case against nuclear energy outlined above, nuclear energy programmes are expanding. Such an expansion assumes a continual growth in industrial production and consumer demands. However, it is doubtful whether this growth will or can continue. Having weighed up the arguments on both sides, it seems there are good economic and ecological reasons for sources of energy other than nuclear power.

26. The writer's attitude toward nuclear energy is       .
A) indifferent                          C) favorable
B) tolerant                          D) negative

27. According to the opponents of nuclear energy, which of the following is TRUE of nuclear energy?
A) Primitive.                          C) Exhaustible.
B) Cheap.                          D) Unsafe.

28. Some people claim that nuclear energy is essential because     .
A) it provides a perfect solution to mass unemployment
B) it represents an enormous step forward in our scientific evolution
C) it can meet the growing demand of an industrially developing society
D) nuclear power stations can be run and maintained by relatively few technical and administrative staff

29. Which of the following statements does the writer support?
A) The demand for commercial products will not necessarily keep increasing.
B) Nuclear energy is something we cannot do without.
C) Uranium is a good source of energy for economic and ecological reasons.
D) Greater safety provisions can bring about the expansion of nuclear energy programmes.

30. The function of the last sentence is to       .
A) advance the final argument
B) reflect the writer's attitude
C) reverse previously expressed thoughts
D) show the disadvantages of nuclear power

Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage:

Clothes play a critical part in the conclusions we reach by providing clues to who people are, who they are not, and who they would like to be. They tell us a good deal about the wearer's background, personality, status, mood, and social outlook.?
Since clothes are such an important source of social information, we can use them to manipulate people's impression of us. Our appearance assumes particular significance in the initial phases of interaction that is likely to occur. An elderly middle-class man or woman may be alienated(疏远……) by a young adult who is dressed in an unconventional manner, regardless of the person's education, background, or interests.?
People tend to agree on what certain types of clothes mean. Adolescent girls can easily agree on the lifestyles of girls who wear certain outfits (套装)，including the number of boyfriends they likely have had and whether they smoke or drink. Newscasters, or the announcers who read the news on TV, are considered to be more convincing, honest, and competent when they are dressed conservatively. And college students who view themselves as taking an active role in their interpersonal relationships say they are concerned about the costumes they must wear to play these roles successfully. Moreover, many of us can relate instances in which the clothing we wore changed the way we felt about ourselves and how we acted. Perhaps you have used clothing to gain confidence when you anticipated a stressful situation, such as a job interview, or a court appearance.
In the workplace, men have long had well-defined precedents and role models for achieving success. It has been otherwise for women. A good many women in the business world are uncertain about the appropriate mixture of “masculine” and “feminine” attributes they should convey by their professional clothing. The variety of clothing alternatives to women has also been greater than that available for men. Male administrators tend to judge women more favorably for managerial positions when the women display less “feminine” grooming (打扮)—shorter hair, moderate use of make-up, and plain tailored clothing. As one male administrator confessed, “An attractive woman is definitely going to get a longer interview, but she won't get a job.”

31. According to the passage, the way we dress     .
A) provides clues for people who are critical of us
B) indicates our likes and dislikes in choosing a career
C) has a direct influence on the way people regard us
D) is of particular importance when we get on in age

32. From the third paragraph of the passage, we can conclude that young adults tend to believe that certain types of clothing can     .
A) change people's conservative attitudes towards their lifestyles
B) help young people make friends with the opposite sex
C) make them competitive in the job market
D) help them achieve success in their interpersonal relationships

33. The word “precedent” (Line 1, Para.4) probably refers to       .
A) early acts for men to follow as examples
B) particular places for men to occupy especially because of their importance
C) things that men should agree upon
D) men's beliefs that everything in the world has already been decided

34. According to the passage, many career women find themselves in difficult situations because     .
A) the variety of the professional clothing is too wide for them to choose
B) women are generally thought to be only good at being fashion models
C) men are more favorably judged for managerial positions
D) they are not sure to what extent they should display their feminine qualities through clothing

35. What is the passage mainly about?
A) Dressing for effect.                  C) Managerial positions and clothing.
B) How to dress appropriately.              D) Dressing for the occasion.

Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage:

The more women and minorities make their way into the ranks of management, the more they seem to want to talk about things formerly judged to be best left unsaid. The newcomers also tend to see office matters with a fresh eye, in the process sometimes coming up with critical analyses of the forces that shape everyone's experience in the organization.?
Consider the novel views of Harvey Coleman of Atlanta on the subject of getting ahead. Coleman is black. He spent 11 years with IBM, half of them working in management development, and now serves as a consultant to the likes of AT&T, Coca-Cola, Prudential, and Merch. Coleman says that based on what he's seen at big companies, he weighs the different elements that make for long-term career success as follows: performance counts a mere 10%, image, 30%; and exposure, a full 60%. Coleman concludes that excellent job performance is so common these days that while doing your work well may win you pay increases, it won't secure you the big promotion. He finds that advancement more often depends on how many people know you and your work, and how high up they are.?
Ridiculous beliefs? Not to many people, especially many women and members of minority races who, like Coleman, feel that the scales (障眼物) have dropped from their eyes. “Women and blacks in organizations work under false beliefs,” says Kaleel Jamison, a New York-based management consultant who helps corporations deal with these issues. “They think that if you work hard, you'll get ahead—that someone in authority will reach down and give you a promotion.” she adds, “Most women and blacks are so frightened that people will think they've gotten ahead because of their sex or color that they play down (使……不突出) their visibility.” Her advice to those folks: learn the ways that white males have
traditionally used to find their way into the spotlight.

36. According to the passage, “things formerly judged to be best left unsaid”(Line 2, Para. 1) probably refers to “     ”.
A) criticisms that shape everyone's experience
B) the opinions which contradict the established beliefs
C) the tendencies that help the newcomers to see office matters with a fresh eye D) the ideas which usually come up with new ways of management in the organization

37. To achieve success in your career, the most important factor, according to the passage, is to     .
A) let your superiors know how good you are
B) project a favorable image to the people around you
C) work as a consultant to your superiors
D) perform well your tasks given by your superiors

38. The reason why women and blacks play down their visibility is that they     .
A) know that someone in authority will reach down and give them a promotion
B) want to give people the impression that they work under false beliefs
C) don't want people to think that their promotions were due to sex or color
D) believe they can get promoted by reason of their sex or color.

39. The author is of the opinion that Coleman's beliefs are     .
A) biased                              C) insightful
B) popular                              D) superficial

40. The best title for this passage would be     .
A) Role of Women and Minorities in Management
B) The Importance of Being Visible
C) Job Performance and Advancement
D) Sex and Career Success

Unit 11

Part Ⅱ Reading Comprehension
  (35 minutes)
Directions: There are 4 reading passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.

Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage:

It is said that the public and Congressional concern about deceptive (欺骗性的) packaging rumpus(喧嚣) started because Senator Hart discovered that the boxes of cereals consumed by him, Mrs. Hart, and their children were becoming higher and narrower, with a decline of net weight from 12 to 10 1/2 ounces, without any reduction in price. There were still twelve biscuits, but they had been reduced in size. Later, the Senator rightly complained of a store-bought pie in a handsomely illustrated box that pictured, in a single slice, almost as many cherries as there were in the whole pie.?
The manufacturer who increases the unit price of his product by changing his package size to lower the quantity delivered can, without undue hardship, put his product into boxes, bags, and tins that will contain even 4-ounce, 8-ounce, one-pound, two-pound quantities of breakfast foods, cake mixes, etc. A study of drugstore(杂货店) and supermarket shelves will convince any observer that all possible sizes and shapes of boxes, jars, bottles, and tins are in use at the same time, and, as the package journals show, week by week, there is never any hesitation in introducing a new size and shape of box or bottle when it aids in product differentiation. The producers of packaged products argue strongly against changing sizes of packages to contain even weights and volumes, but no one in the trade comments unfavorably on the huge costs incurred by endless changes of package sizes, materials, shape, art work, and net weights that are used for improving a product's market position.?
When a packaging expert explained that he was able to multiply the price of hard sweets by 2.5, from $1 to $ 2.50 by changing to a fancy jar, or that he had made a 5_ounce bottle look as though it held 8 ounces, he was in effect telling the public that packaging can be a very expensive luxury. It evidently does come high, when an average family pays about $ 200 a year for bottles, cans, boxes, jars and other containers, most of which can't be used for anything but stuffing the garbage can.

21. What started the public and Congressional concern about deceptive packaging rumpus?
A) Consumers' complaints about the changes in package size.
B) A senator's discovery of the tricks in packaging.
C) Expensive packaging for poor quality products.
D) The rise in the unit price for many products.

22. The word “undue”(Line 2,Para.2) means“     ”.
A) improper                              C) excessive
B) adequate                      D) unexpected

23. Consumers are concerned about the changes in package size, mainly because     .
A) the unit price for a product often rises as a result
B) they hate to see any changes in things they are familiar with
C) they have to pay for the cost of changing package sizes
D) this entails an increase in the cost of packaging

24. According to this passage, various types of packaging come into existence to     .
A) meet the needs of consumers
B) suit all kinds of products
C) introduce new products
D) enhance the market position of products

25. The author is critical mainly of     .
A) inferior packaging                  C) the changes in package size
B) dishonest packaging                  D) exaggerated illustrations on packages

Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage:

If sustainable competitive advantage depends on work-force skills, American firms have a problem. Human-resource management is not traditionally seen as central to the competitive survival of the firm in the United States. Skill acquisition is considered an individual responsibility. Labour is simply another factor of production to be hired — rented at the lowest possible cost — much as one buys raw materials or equipment.?
The lack of importance attached to human-resource management can be seen in the corporate hierarchy. In an American firm the chief financial officer is almost always second in command. The post of head of human-resource management is usually a specialized job, off at the edge of the corporate hierarchy. The executive who holds it is never consulted on major strategic decisions and has no chance to move up to Chief Executive Officer (CEO). By way of contrast, in Japan the head of human-resource management is central — usually the second most important executive, after the CEO, in the firm's hierarchy.?
While American firms often talk about the vast amounts spent on training their work forces, in fact they invest less in the skills of their employees than do either Japanese or German firms. The money they do invest is also more highly concentrated on professional and managerial employees. And the limited investments that are made in training workers are also much more narrowly focused on the specific skills necessary to do the next job rather than on the basic background skills that make it possible to absorb new technologies.?
As a result, problems emerge when new breakthrough technologies arrive. If American workers, for example, take much longer to learn how to operate new flexible manufacturing stations than workers in Germany (as they do), the effective cost of those stations is lower in Germany than it is in the United States. More time is required before equipment is up and running at capacity, and the need for extensive retraining generates costs and creates bottlenecks that limit the speed with which new equipment can be employed. The result is a slower pace of technological change. And in the end the skills of the bottom half of the population affect the wages of the top half. If the bottom half can't effectively staff the processes that have to be operated, the management and professional jobs that go with these processes will disappear.

26.Which of the following applies to the management of human resources in American companies?
A) They hire people at the lowest cost regardless of their skills.
B) They only hire skilled workers because of keen competition.
C) They attach more importance to workers than to equipment.
D) They see the gaining of skills as their employees' own business.

27. What is the position of the head of human-resource management in an American firm?
A) He is one of the most important executives in the firm.
B) His post is likely to disappear when new technologies are introduced.
C) He has no say in making important decisions in the firm.
D) He is directly under the chief financial exective.

28. The money most American firms put in training mainly goes to     .
A) technological and managerial staff
B) workers who can operate new equipment
C) workers who lack basic background skills
D) top executives

29. According to the passage, the decisive factor in maintaining a firm's competitive advantage is     .
A) the introduction of new technologies
B) the improvement of workers' basic skills
C) the rational composition of professional and managerial employees
D) the attachment of importance to the bottom half of the employees

30. What is the main idea of the passage?
A) American firms are different from Japanese and German firms in human-resource management.
B) Extensive retraining is indispensable to effective human-resource management. C) The human-resource management strategies of American firms affect their competitive capacity.
D) The head of human-resource management must be in the central position in a firm's hierarchy.

Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage:

The biographer has to dance between two shaky positions with respect to the subject (研究对象). Too close a relation, and the writer may lose objectivity. Not close enough, and the writer may lack the sympathy necessary to any effort to portray a mind, a soul — the quality of life. Who should write the biography of a family, for example? Because of their closeness to the subject, family members may have special information, but by the same token, they may not have the distance that would allow them to be fair. Similarly, a king's servant might not be the best one to write a biography of that king. But a foreigner might not have the knowledge and sympathy necessary to write the king's biography — not for areadership from within the kingdom, at any rate.
There is no ideal position for such a task. The biographer has to work with the position he or she has in the world, adjusting that position as necessary to deal with the subject. Every position has strengths and weaknesses: to thrive, a writer must try to become aware of these, evaluate them in terms of the subject, and select a position accordingly.
When their subjects are heroes or famous figures, biographies often reveal a democratic motive: they attempt to show that their subjects are only human, no better than anyone else. Other biographies are meant to change us, to invite us to become better than we are. The biographies of Jesus (耶稣) found in the Bible are in this class.
Biographers may claim that their account is the “authentic” one. In advancing this claim, they are helped if the biography is “authorized” by the subject; this presumably allows the biographer special access to private information. “Unauthorized” biographies also have their appeal, however, since they can suggest an independence of mind in the biographer. In book promotions, the “unauthorized” characterization usually suggests the prospect of juicy gossip that the subject had hoped to suppress. A subject might have several biographies, even several “authentic” ones. We sense intuitively that no one is in a position to tell“the” story of a life, perhaps not even the subject, and this has been proved by the history of biography.

31. According to the author, an ideal biographer would be one who     .
A) possesses special private information and is sympathetic toward the subject
B) is close to the subject and knows the techniques of biography writing
C) is independent and treats the subject with fairness and objectivity
D) knows the subject very well and yet maintains a proper distance from him

32. The author cites the biographies of Jesus in the Bible in order to show that     .
A) biographies can serve different purposes
B) biographies are authentic accounts of their subjects' lives
C) the best biographies are those of heroes and famous figures
D) the best biographies are meant to transform their readers

33. Which of the following statements is true, according to the passage?
A) An authentic biography seldom appeals to its readers.
B) An authentic biography is one authorized by the subject.
C) Authorized biographies have a wider readership.
D) No one can write a perfect biography.

34. An unauthorized biography is likely to attract more readers because     . A) it portrays the subject both faithfully and vividly
B) it reveals a lot of accurate details unknown to outsiders
C) it contains interesting information about the subject's private life
D) it usually gives a sympathetic description of subject's character

35. In this passage, the author focuses on     .
A) the secret of a biographer to win more readers
B) the difficulty of a biographer in finding the proper perspective to do his job
C) the techniques required of a biographer to write a good biography
D) the characteristics of different kinds of biographies

Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage:

Whether the eyes are “the windows of the soul” is debatable; that they are intensely important in interpersonal communication is a fact. During the first two months of a baby's life, the stimulus that produces a smile is a pair of eyes. Theeyes need not be real: a mask with two dots will produce a smile. Significantly, a real human face with eyes covered will not motivate a smile, nor will the sight of only one eye when the face is presented in profile. This attraction to eyes as opposed to the nose or mouth continues as the baby matures. In one study, when American four-year-olds were asked to draw people, 75 percent of them drew people with mouths, but 99 percent of them drew people with eyes. In Japan, however, where babies are carried on their mother's back, infants do not acquire as much attachment to eyes as they do in other cultures. As a result, Japanese adults make little use of the face either to encode (把…编码) or decode(理解) meaning. In fact, Argyle reveals that the“proper place to focus one's gaze during a conversation in Japan is on the neck of one's conversation partner.”The role of eye contact in a conversational exchange between two Americans is well defined: speakers make contact with the eyes of their listener for about one second, then glance away as they talk; in a few moments they re-establish eye contact with the listener or reassure themselves that their audience is still attentive, then shift their gaze away once more. Listeners, meanwhile, keep their eyes on the face of the speaker, allowing themselves to glance away only briefly. It is important that they be looking at the speaker at the precise moment when the speaker reestablishes eye contact: if they are not looking, the speaker assumes that they are disinterested and either will pause until eye contact is resumed or will terminate the conversation. Just how critical this eye maneuvering is to the maintenance of conversational flow becomes evident when two speakers are wearing dark glasses: there may be a sort of traffic jam of words caused by interruption, false starts, and unpredictable pauses.

36. The author is convinced that the eyes are     .
A) something the value of which is largely a matter of long debate
B) something through which one can see a person's inner world
C) of considerable significance in making conversations interesting
D) of extreme importance in expressing feelings and exchanging ideas

37. Babies will not be stimulated to smile by a person     .
A) whose face is seen from the side     C) whose front view is fully perceived
B) whose face is covered with a mask      D) whose face is free of any covering
38. According to the passage, the Japanese fix their gaze on their conversation partner's neck because     .
A) they don't like to keep their eyes on the face of the speaker
B) they need not communicate through eye contact
C) they didn't have much opportunity to communicate through eye contact in babyhood
D) they don't think it polite to have eye contact

39. According to the passage, a conversation between two Americans may break down due to     .
A) improperly-timed ceasing of eye contact
B) eye contact of more than one second
C) one temporarily glancing away from the other
D) constant adjustment of eye contact

40. To keep a conversation flowing smoothly, it is better for the participants     .
A) not to make any interruptions          C) not to glance away from each other
B) not to wear dark spectacles              D) not to make unpredictable pauses

Unit 12

Part Ⅱ Reading Comprehension

  (35 minutes)
Directions: There are 4 reading passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.

Passage One
Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage:

A few common misconceptions. Beauty is only skin-deep. One's physical assets and liabilities don't count all that much in a managerial career. A woman should always try to look her best.
Over the last 30 years, social scientists have conducted more than 1,000 studies of how we react to beautiful and not-so-beautiful people. The virtually unanimous conclusion: Looks do matter, more than most of us realize. The data suggest, for example, that physically attractive individuals are more likely to be treated well by their parents, sought out as friends, and pursued romantically. With the possible exception of women seeking managerial jobs, they are also more likely to be hired, paid well, and promoted.
Un-American, you say, unfair and extremely unbelievable? Once again, the scientists have caught us mouthing pieties (虔诚) while acting just the contrary. Their typical experiment works something like this. They give each member of a group — college students, perhaps, or teachers or corporate personnel managers —a piece of paper relating an individual's accomplishments. Attached to the paper is a photograph. While the papers all say exactly the same thing the pictures are different. Some show a strikingly attractive person, some an average-looking character, and some an unusually unattractive human being. Group members are asked to rate the individual on certain attributes, anything from personal warmth to the likelihood that he or she will be promoted.
Almost invariably, the better looking the person in the picture, the higher the person is rated. In the phrase, borrowed from Sappho, that the social scientists use to sum up the common perception, what is beautiful is good.
In business, however, good looks cut both ways for women, and deeper than for men. A Utah State University professor, who is an authority on the subject, explains: In terms of their careers, the impact of physical attractiveness on males is only modest. But its potential impact on females can be tremendous, making it easier, for example, for the more attractive to get jobs where they are in the public eye. On another note, though, there is enough literature now for us to conclude that attractive women who aspire(追求) to managerial positions do not get on as well as women who may be less attractive.

21. According to the passage, people often wrongly believe that in pursuing a career as a manager     .
A) a person's property or debts do not matter much
B) a person's outward appearance is not a critical qualification
C) women should always dress fashionably
D) women should not only be attractive but also high-minded

22. The result of research carried out by social scientists show that       .
A) people do not realize the importance of looking one's best
B) women in pursuit of managerial jobs are not likely to be paid well
C) good-looking women aspire to managerial positions
D) attractive people generally have an advantage over those who are not

23. Experiments by scientists have shown that when people evaluate individuals on certain attuibrtes     .
A) they observe the principle that beauty is only skin-deep
B) they do not usually act according to the views they support
C) they give ordinary-looking persons the lowest ratings
D) they tend to base their judgment on the individual's accomplishments

24. “Good looks cut both ways for women” (Line 1,Para. 5) means that     . A) attractive women have tremendous potential impact on public jobs
B) good-looking women always get the best of everything
C) being attractive is not always an advantage for women.
D) attractive women do not do as well as unattractive women in managerial positions

25. It can be inferred from the passage that in the business world     .
A) handsome men are not affected as much by their looks as attractive women are B) physically attractive women who are in the public eye usually do quite well
C) physically attractive men and women who are in the public eye usually get along quite well
D) good looks are important for women as they are for men

Question 26 to 30 are based on the following passage:

Not content with its doubtful claim to produce cheap food for our own population, the factory farming industry also argues that “hungry nations are benefiting from advances made by the poultry (家禽) industry”. In fact, rather than helping the fight against malnutrition (营养不良) in “hungry nations”, the spread of factory farming has, inevitably aggravated the problem.
Large-scale intensive meat and poultry production is a waste of food resources. This is because more protein has to be fed to animals in the form of vegetable matter than can ever be recovered in the form of meat. Much of the food value is lost in the animal's process of digestion and cell replacement. Neither, in the case of chicken, can one eat feathers, blood, feet or head. In all, only about 44% of the live animal fits to be eaten as meat.
This means one has to feed approximately 9_10 times as much food value to the animal than one can consume from the carcass. As a system for feeding the hungry, the effects can prove disastrous. At times of crisis, grain is the food of life .Nevertheless, the huge increase in poultry production throughout Asia and Africa continues. Normally British or US firms are involved. For instance, an American based multinational company has this year announced its involvement in projects in several African countries. Britain's largest suppliers of chickens, Ross Breeders, are also involved in projects all over the world.
Because such trade is good for exports, Western governments encourage it. In 1979, a firm in Bangladesh called Phoenix Poultry received a grant to set up a unit of 6,000 chickens and 18,000 laying hens. This almost doubled the number of poultry kept in the country all at once.
But Bangladesh lacks capital, energy and food and has large numbers of unemployed. Such chicken-raising demands capital for building and machinery, extensive use of energy resources for automation, and involves feeding chickens with potential famine-relief protein food. At present, one of Bangladesh's main imports is food grains, because the country is unable to grow enough food to feed its population. On what then can they possibly feed the chicken?

26. In this passage the author argues that     .
A) efficiency must be raised in the poultry industry
B) raising poultry can provide more protein than growing grain
C) factory farming will do more harm than good to developing countries
D) hungry nations may benefit from the development of the poultry industry

27. According to the author, in factory farming, vegetable food     .
A) is easy for chickens to digest
B) is insufficient for the needs of poultry
C) is fully utilized in meat and egg production
D) is inefficiently converted into meat and eggs

28. Western governments encourage the poultry industry in Asia because they regard it as an effective way to     .
A) boost their own exports
B) alleviate malnutrition in Asian countries
C) create job opportunities in Asian countries
D) promote the exports of Asian countries

29. The word “carcass” (Line 2, Para. 3) most probably means “     ”.
A) vegetables preserved for future use
B) the dead body of an animal ready to be cut into meat
C) expensive food that consumers can hardly afford
D) meat canned for future consumption

30. What the last paragraph tells us is the author's     .
A) detailed analysis of the ways of raising poultry in Bangladesh
B) great appreciation of the development of poultry industry in Bangladesh
C) critical view on the development of the poultry industry in Bangladesh
D) practical suggestion for the improvement of the poultry industry in Bangladesh

Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage:

We all have offensive breath at one time or another. In most cases, offensive breath emanates from bacteria in the mouth, although there are other, more surprising causes.
Until a few years ago, the most doctors could do was to counsel patients with bad breath about oral cleanliness. Now they are finding new ways to treat the usually curable condition.
Bad breath can happen whenever the normal flow of saliva (唾液) slows. Our mouths are full of bacteria feeding on protein in bits of food and shed tissue. The bacteria emit evil-smelling gases, the worst of which is hydrogen sulfide(硫化物).Mouth bacteria thrive in airless conditions. Oxygen-rich saliva keeps their numbers down. When we sleep, for example, the saliva stream slows, and sulfur-producing bacteria gain the upper hand, producing classic “morning breath”.Alcohol, hunger, too much talking, breathing through the mouth during exercise — anything that dries the mouth produces bad breath. So can stress, though it's not understood why. Some people's breath turns sour every time they go on a job interview.
Saliva flow gradually slows with age, which explains why the elderly have more bad-breath trouble than younger people do. Babies, however, who make plenty of saliva and whose mouths contain relatively few bacteria have characteristically sweet breath.
For most of us, the simple, dry-mouth variety of bad breath is easily cured. Eating or drinking starts saliva and sweeps away many of the bacteria. Breakfast often stops morning breath.
Those with chronic dry mouth find that it helps to keep gum, hard candy, or a bottle of water or juice around. Brushing the teeth wipes out dry-mouth bad breath because it clears away many of the offending bacteria.?
Surprisingly, one thing that rarely works is mouthwash. The liquid can mask bad-breath odor with its own smell, but the effect lasts no more than an hour. Some mouthwashes claim to kill the bacteria responsible for bad breath. The trouble is, they don't necessarily reach all offending germs. Most bacteria are well protected from mouthwash under thick layers of mucus (粘液). If the mouthwash contains alcohol — as most do — it can intensify the problem by drying out the mouth.

31. The phrase “emanate from” in Paragraph 1 most probably means “     ”.
A) thrive on     B) account for     C) originate from     D) descend from
32. Which of the following is mentioned as one of the causes of bad breath?
A) Tooth trouble.                      C) Too much exercise.
B) Sulfur-rich food.                      D) Mental strain.

33. According to the passage, alcohol has something to do with bad breath mainly because     .
A) it keeps offending bacteria from reproducing
B) its smell adds to bad breath
C) it kills some helpful bacteria
D) it affects the noumal flow of saliva
34. Mouthwashes are not an effective cure for bad breath mainly because     . A) they can't mask the bad odor long enough
B) they can't get to all the offending bacteria
C) their strong smell mixes with bad breath and makes it worse
D) they can't cover the thick layers of mucus

35. We can infer from this passage that       .
A) offensive breath can't easily be cured
B) elderly people are less offended by bad breath
C) heavy drinkers are less affected by bad breath
D) offensive breath is less affected by alcohol

Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage:

“Welcome to the U.S.A.! Major Credit cards accepted!”
By the millions they are coming no longer the tired, the poor, the wretched masses longing for a better living. These are the wealthy. “We don't have a budget，” says a biologist from Brazil, as she walks with two companions through New York City's South Street. “We just use our credit cards.”
The U.S. has long been one of the world's most popular tourist destinations, but this year has been exceptional. First there was the World Cup, which drew thousands from every corner of the globe; then came the weakening of the U.S. dollar against major currencies. Now the U.S., still the world's superpower, can also claim to be the world's bargain basement (廉价商品部). Nobody undersells America these days on just about everything, from consumer electronics to fashion clothes to tennis rackets. Bottom retail prices — anywhere from 30% to 70% lower than those in Europe and Asia — have attracted some 47 million visitors, who are expected to leave behind $79 billion in 1994. That's up from $74 billion the year before.
True, not everyone comes just for bargains. There remains an undeniable fascination in the rest of the world with all things American, nourished by Hollywood films and U.S. television series. But shopping the U.S.A. is proving irresistible. Every week thousands arrive with empty suitcases ready to be filled; some even rent an additional hotel room to hold their purchases. The buying binge (无节制) has become as important as watching Old Faithful fountains erupt in Yellowstone Park or sunbathing on a beach in Florida.
The U.S. has come at last to appreciate what other countries learned long ago: the pouring in of foreign tourists may not always be convenient, but it does put money in the bank. And with a trade deficit at about $ 130 billion and growing for the past 12 months, the U.S. needs all the deposits it can get. Compared with American tourists abroad, visitors to the U.S. stay longer and spend more money at each stop; an average of 12.2 night and $1624 a traveller versus the Americans' four nights and $298.

36. From what the Brazilian biologist says, we know that tourists like her   .
A) are reluctant to carry cash with them
B) simply don't care how much they spend
C) are not good at planning their expenditure
D) often spend more money than they can afford

37. The reason why 1994 was exceptional is that     .
A) it saw an unusually large number of tourists to the U.S.
B) it witnessed a drop in the number of tourists to the U.S.
C) tourism was hardly affected by the weakening of the U.S. dollar that year
D) tourists came to the U.S. for sightseeing rather than for bargains that year
38. By saying “nobody undersells America”(Line 4, Para. 3), the author means that     .
A) no other country underestimates the competitiveness of American products
B) nobody expects the Americans to cut the prices of their commodities
C) nobody restrains the selling of American goods
D) no other country sells at a lower price than America

39. Why does the author assert that all things American are fascinating to foreigners?
A) Because they have gained much publicity through the American media.
B) Because they represent the world's latest fashions.
C) Because they embody the most sophisticated technology.
D) Because they are available at all tourist destinations.

40. From the passage we can conclude that the U.S. has come to realize     .
A) the weakening if the U.S. dollar can result in trade deficits
B) the lower the retail prices, the greater the profits
C) tourism can make great contributions to its economy
D) visitors to the U.S. are wealthier than U.S. tourists abroad

Unit 13

Part Ⅱ Reading Comprehension

  (35 minutes)
Directions: There are 4 reading passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.

Passage One
Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage:

Cyberspace (网络空间)，data superhighways, multi media — for those who have seen the future, the linking of computers, television and telephones will change our lives for ever. Yet for all the talk of a forthcoming technological utopia(乌托邦) little attention has been given to the implications of these developments for the poor. As with all new high technology, while the West concerns itself with the “how,” the question of “for whom” is put aside once again.?
Economists are only now realizing the full extent to which the communications revolution has affected the world economy. Information technology allows the extension of trade across geographical and industrial boundaries, and transnational corporations take full advantage of it. Terms of trade, exchange and interest rates and money movements are more important than the production of goods. The electronic economy made possible by information technology allows the haves to increase their control on global markets — with destructive impact on the have-nots.   For them the result is instability. Developing countries which rely on the production of a small range of goods for export are made to feel like small parts in the international economic machine. As “?futures?”(期货) are traded on computer screens, developing countries simply have less and less control of their destinies.
So what are the options for regaining control? One alterative is for developing countries to buy in the latest computers and telecommunications themselves — so-called “development communications” modernization. Yet this leads to long-term dependency and perhaps permanent constraints on developing countries' economies.   Communications technology is generally exported from the U.S., Europe or Japan; the patents, skills and ability to manufacture remain in the hands of a few industrialized countries. It is also expensive, and imported products and services must therefore be bought on credit—credit usually provided by the very countries whose companies stand to gain.?
Furthermore, when new technology is introduced there is often too low a level of expertise to exploit it for native development. This means that while local elites, foreign communities and subsidiaries of transnational corporations may benefit, those whose lives depend on access to the information are denied it.?

21. From the passage we know that the development of high technology is in the interests of     .
A) the rich countries                      C) the elite
B) scientific development                  D) the world economy

22. It can be inferred from the passage that     .
A) international trade should be expanded
B) the interests of the poor countries have not been given enough consideration C) the exports of the poor countries should be increased
D) communications technology in the developing countries should be modernized

23. Why does the author say that the electronic economy may have a destructive impact on developing countries?
A) Because it enables the developed countries to control the international market.
B) Because it destroys the economic balance of the poor countries.
C) because it violates the national boundaries of the poor countries.
D) Because it inhibits the industrial growth of developing countries.

24. The development of modern communications technology in developing countries may     .
A) hinder their industrial production
B) cause them to lose control of their trade
C) force them to reduce their share of exports
D) cost them their economic independence

25. The author's attitude toward the communications revolution is     .
A) positive       B) critical       C) indifferent     D) tolerant

Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage:

The estimates of the numbers of home-schooled children vary widely. The U.S. Department of Education estimates there are 250,000 to 350,000 home-schooled children in the country. Home-school advocates put the number much higher — at about a million.
Many public school advocates take a harsh attitude toward home schoolers, perceiving their actions as the ultimate slap in the face for public education and a damaging move for the children. Home schoolers harbor few kind words for public schools, charging shortcomings that range from lack of religious perspective in the curriculum to a herd like approach to teaching children.
Yet, as public school officials realize they stand little to gain by remaining hostile to the home-school population, and as home schoolers realize they can reap benefits from public schools, these hard lines seem to be softening a bit. Public schools and home schoolers have moved closer to tolerance and, in some cases, even cooperation.
Says John Marshall, an education official, “We are becoming relatively tolerant of home schoolers. The idea is, ‘Let's give the kids access to public school so they'll see it's not as terrible as they've been told, and they'll want to come back.’”
Perhaps, but don't count on it, say home-school advocates. Home schoolers oppose the system because they have strong convictions that their approach to education — whether fueled by religious enthusiasm or the individual child's interests and natural pace — is best.
“The bulk of home schoolers just want to be left alone,” says Enge Cannon, associate director of the National Center For Home Education. She says home schoolers choose that path for a variety of reasons, but religion plays a role 85 percent of the time.
Professor Van Galen breaks home schoolers into two groups. Some home schoolers want their children to learn not only traditional subject matter but also “strict religious doctrine and a conservative political and social perspective. Not incidentally, they also want their children to learn — both intellectually and emotionally — that the family is the most important institution in society.”Other home schoolers contend “not so much that the schools teach heresy (异端邪说)，but that schools teach whatever they teach inappropriately,” Van Galen writes. “These parents are highly independent and strive to ‘take responsibility’ for their own lives within a society that they define as bureaucratic and inefficient.”

26. According to the passage, home schoolers are       .
A) those who engage private teachers to provide additional education for their children
B) those who educate their children at home instead of sending them to school
C) those who advocate combining public education with home schooling
D) those who don't go to school but are educated at home by their parents

27. Public schools are softening their position on home schooling because   .
A) there isn't much they can do to change the present situation
B) they want to show their tolerance for different teaching systems
C) home schooling provides a new variety of education for children
D) public schools have so many problems that they cannot offer proper education for all children

28. Home-school advocates are of the opinion that     .
A) things in public schools are not so bad as has often been said
B) their tolerance of public education will attract more kids to public schools
C) home schooling is superior and, therefore, they will not easily give in
D) their increased cooperation with public school will bring about the improvement of public education

29. Most home schoolers' opposition to public education stems from their     .
A) respect for the interests of individuals
B) worry about the inefficiency of public schools
C) concern with the cost involved
D) devotion to religion

30. According to Van Galen some home schoolers believe that     .
A) public schools take up a herdlike approach to teaching children
B) teachers in public school are not as responsible as they should be
C) public schools cannot provide an education that is good enough for their children
D) public schools are the source of bureaucracy and inefficiency in modern society

Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage:

Every year television stations receive hundreds of complaints about the loudness of advertisements. However, federal rules forbid the practice of making ads louder than the programming. In addition, television stations always operate at the highest sound level allowed for reasons of efficiency. According to one NBC executive, no difference exists in the peak sound level of ads and programming. Given this information, why do commercials sound so loud?
The sensation of sound involves a variety of factors in addition to its speak level. Advertisers are skilful at creating the impression of loudness through their expert use of such factors. One major contributor to the perceived loudness of commercials is that much less variation in sound level occurs during a commercial. In regular programming the intensity of sound varies over a large range. However, sound levels in commercials tend to stay at or near peak levels.
Other “tricks of the trade” are also used. Because low-frequency sounds can mask higher frequency sounds, advertisers filter out any noises that may drown out the primary message. In addition, the human voice has more auditory(听觉的) impact in the middle frequency ranges. Advertisers electronically vary voice sounds so that they stay within such a frequency band. Another approach is to write the script so that lots of consonants(辅音) are used, because people are more aware of consonants than vowel(元音) sounds. Finally, advertisers try to begin commercials with sounds that are highly different from those of the programming within which the commercial is buried. Because people become adapted to the type of sounds coming from programming, a dramatic change in sound quality draws viewer attention. For example, notice how many commercials begin with a cheerful song of some type.
The attention-getting property of commercials can be seen by observing one-to-two-year-old children who happen to be playing around a television set. They may totally ignore the programming. However, when a commercial comes on, their attention is immediately drawn to it because of its dramatic sound quality.

31. According to the passage, the maximum intensity of sound coming from commercials     .
A) does not exceed that of programs
B) is greater than that of programs
C) varies over a large range than that of programs
D) is less than that of programs

32. Commercials create the sensation of loudness because     .
A) TV stations always operate at the highest sound levels
B) their sound levels are kept around peak levels
C) their sound levels are kept in the middle frequency ranges
D) unlike regular programs their intensity of sound varies over a wide range

33. Many commercials begin with a cheerful song of some kind because     .
A) pop songs attract viewer attention
B) it can increase their loudness
C) advertisers want to make them sound different from regular programs
D) advertisers want to merge music with commercials

34. One of the reasons why commercials are able to attract viewer attention is that       .
A) the human voices in commercials have more auditory impact
B) people like cheerful songs that change dramatically in sound quality
C) high-frequency sounds are used to mask sounds that drown out the primary message
D) they possess sound qualities that make the viewer feel that something unusual is happening

35. In the passage, the author is trying to tell us     .
A) how TV ads vary vocal sounds to attract attention
B) how the loudness of TV ads is overcome
C) how advertisers control the sound properties of TV ads
D) how the attention-getting properties of sounds are made use of in TV ads

Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage:

In the United States, the need to protect plant and animal species has become a highly controversial and sharply political issue since the passage of the Endangered Species Act in 1973. The act, designed to protect species' living areas, and policies that preserve land and forests compete with economic interests. In the 1990's, for example, the woodcutters in the Western United States were challenged legally in their attempt to cut trees for timber in the Cascade Mountains. The challenge was mounted to protect the endangered spotted owl (猫头鹰), whose remaining population occupies these forests and requires the intact, ancient forest for survival. The problematic situation set the interests of environmentalists against those of corporations and of individuals who stood to lose jobs. After months of debate and legal battles, the fate of the woodcutters — and the owls — was still undecided in mid-1992.?
Similar tensions exist between the developed and the developing nations. Many people in industrialized nations, for example, believe that developing nations in tropical regions should do more to protect their rain forests and other natural areas. But the developing countries may be impoverished(使穷困), with populations growing so rapidly that using the land is a means to temporarily avoid worsening poverty and starvation.
Many of the changes to Earth that concern scientists have the potential to rob the planet of its biological richness. The destruction of Earth's ozone layer (臭氧层), for example, could contribute to the general process of impoverishment by allowing ultra-violet rays to harm plants and animals. And global warming could wipe out species unable to quickly adapt to changing climates. Clearly, protecting Earth's biological diversity is a complex problem. But solutions to humanity's current problems will come only through coordinated international efforts to control human population, stabilize the composition of the atmosphere, and preserve intact Earth's complex web of life.

36. Why does the author say that the protection of endangered species is a highly controversial issue?
A) Because people can't agree as to what species to protect.
B) Because it is difficult to find an effective way to protect such species.
C) Because it affects the interests of certain groups of people.
D) Because it is a major problem involving a series of legal procedures.
37. According to the passage, the preservation of rain forests     .
A) may hamper a developing country in its fight against poverty
B) benefits developed countries rather than developing countries
C) should take priority over the control of human population
D) will help improve the living conditions in developing countries

38. According to the passage, cutting trees to grow more food .
A) will widen the gap between the developed and the developing countries
B) is but a short-term relief to the food problem
C) can hardly alleviate the shortage of food
D) proves to be an effective way out for impoverished nations

39. Among humanity's current problems, the chief concern of the scientists is     .
A) the impoverishment of developing countries
B) the explosion of the human population
C) the reduction of biological diversity
D) the effect of global warming

40. The author's purpose in writing this passage is       .
A) to describe the difficulties in solving humanity's current problems
B) to present the different views on humanity's current problems
C) to analyze the contradiction between countries in dealing with humanity's current problems
D) to point out that humanity's current problems can only be solved through thecooperation of nations

Unit 14

Part Ⅱ Reading Comprehension

  (35 minutes)
Directions: There are 4 reading passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.

Passage One
Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage:

Many Americans harbour a grossly distorted and exaggerated view of most of the risks surrounding food. Fergus Clydesdale, head of the department of food science and nutrition at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, says bluntly that if the dangers from bacterially contaminated chicken were as great as some people believe. “the streets would be littered with people lying here and there.”?
Though the public increasingly demands no-risk food, there is no such thing. Bruce Ames, chairman of the biochemistry department at the University of California, Berkeley, points out that up to 10% of a plant's weight is made up of natural pesticides (杀虫剂). Says he: “Since plants do not have jaws or teeth to protect themselves, they employ chemical warfare.” And many naturally produced chemicals, though occurring in tiny amounts, prove in laboratory tests to be strong carcinogens — a substance which can cause cancer. Mushrooms (蘑菇) might be banned if they were judged by the same standards that apply to food additives (添加剂). Declares Christina Stark, a nutritionist at Cornell University: “We've got far worse natural chemicals in the food supply than anything man-made.”
Yet the issues are not that simple. While Americans have no reason to be terrified to sit down at the dinner table, they have every reason to demand significant improvements in food and water safety. They unconsciously and unwillingly take in too much of too many dangerous chemicals. If food already contains natural carcinogens, it does not make much sense to add dozens of new man made ones. Though most people will withstand the small amounts of contaminants generally found in food and water, at least a few individuals will probably get cancer one day because of what they eat and drink.
To make good food and water supplies even better, the [屏蔽] needs to tighten its regulatory standards, stiffen its inspection program and strengthen its enforcement policies. The food industry should modify some long-accepted practies or turn to less hazardous alternatives. Perhaps most important, consumers will have to do a better job of learning how to handle and cook food properly. The problems that need to be tackled exist all along the food-supply chain, from fields to processing plants to kitchens.

21. What does the author think of the Americans' view of their food?
A) They overstate the government's interference with the food industry.
B) They are overoptimistic about the safety of their food.
C) They overestimate the hazards of their food.
D) They overlook the risks of the food they eat.

22. The author considers it impossible to obtain no-risk food because     .
A) no food is free from pollution in the environment
B) pesticides are widely used in agriculture
C) many vegetables contain dangerous natural chemicals
D) almost all foods have additives

23.   By saying “they employ chemical warfare”(Line 4, Para. 2), Bruce Ames means “     ”.
A) plants produce certain chemicals to combat pests and diseases
B) plants absorb useful chemicals to promote their growth
C) farmers use man-made chemicals to dissolve the natural chemicals in plants.
D) farmers use chemicals to protect plants against pests and diseases

24. The reduction of the possible hazards in food ultimately depends on     . A) the government                      C) the processor
B) the consumer                      D) the grower

25. What is the message the author wants to convey in the passage?
A) Eating and drinking have become more hazardous than before.
B) Immediate measures must be taken to improve food production and processing.
C) Health food is not a dream in modern society.
D) There is reason for caution but no cause for alarm with regard to food consumption.

Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage:

There are some phenomena you can count on, but the magnetic field, someday is not of them. It fluctuates in strength, drifts from its axis, and every few 100,000 years undergo dramatic polarity reversal — a period when north pole becomes south pole and south pole becomes north pole. But how is the field generated, and why is it so unstable?
Groundbreaking research by two French geophysicists promises to shed some light on the mystery. Using 80 metres of deep sea sediment (沉淀物) core, they have obtained measured lots of magnetic-field intensity that span 11 polarity reversals and four million years. The analysis reveals that intensity appears to fluctuate with a clear, well-defined rhythm. Although the strength of the magnetic field varies irregularly during the short term, there seems to be an inevitable longterm decline preceding each polarity reversal. When the poles flip — a process that takes several hundred thousand years — the magnetic field rapidly regains its strength and the cycle is repeated.
The results have caused a stir among geophysicists. The magnetic field is thought to originate from molten (熔化的) iron in the outer core, 3,000 kilometres beneath the earth's surface. By studying mineral grains found in material ranging from rocks to clay articles, previous researchers have already been able to identify reversals dating back 170 million years, including the most recent switch730,000 years ago. How and why they occur, however, has been widely debated. Several theories link polarity flips to external disasters such as meteor (陨星) impacts. But Peter Olson, a geophysicist at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, says this is unlikely if the French researchers are right. In fact, Olson says intensity that predictably declines from one reversal to the next contradicts 90 percent of the models currently under study. If the results prove to be valid geophysicists will have a new theory to guide them in their quest to understand the earth's inner physics. It certainly points the direction for future research.

26. Which of the following titles is most appropriate to the passage?
A) Polarity Reversal: A Fantastic Phenomenon of Nature
B) Measurement of the Earth's Magnetic-Field Intensity
C) Formation of the Two Poles of the Earth
D) A New Approach to the Study of Geophysics

27. The word “flip”(Line 6, Para. 2) most probably means “     ”.
A) decline     B) intensify     C) fluctuate     D) reverse

28. What have the two French geophysicists discovered in their research?
A) Some regularity in the changes of the earth's magnetic field.
B) Some causes of the fluctuation of the earth's magnetic field.
C) The origin of the earth's magnetic field.
D) The frequency of polarity reversals.

29. The French geophysicists' study is different from currently prevailing theories in     .
A) its identification of the origin of the earth's magnetic field
B) the way the earth's magnetic intensity is measured
C) its explanation of the shift in the earth's polarity
D) the way the earth's fluctuation rhythm is defined

30. In Peter Olson's opinion the French experiment       .
A) is likely to direct further research in the inner physics of the earth
B) has successfully solved the mystery of polarity reversals
C) is certain to help predict external disasters
D) has caused great confusion among the world's geophysicists

Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage:

Imagine a world in which there was suddenly no emotion — a world in which human beings could feel no love or happiness, no terror or hate. Try to imagine the consequences of such a transformation. People might not be able to stay alive: knowing neither joy nor pleasure, anxiety nor fear, they would be as likely to repeat acts that hurt them as acts that were beneficial. They could not learn: they could not benefit from experience because this emotionless world would lack rewards and punishments. Society would soon disappear: people would be as likely to harm one another as to provide help and support. Human relationships would not exist: in a world without friends or enemies, there could be no marriage, affection among companions, or bonds among members of groups. Society's economic underpinnings (支柱) would be destroyed: since earning $ 10 million would be no more pleasant than carning $ 10, there would be no incentive to work. In fact, there would be no incentives of any kind. For as we will see, incentives imply a capacity to enjoy them.
In such a world, the chances that the human species would survive are next to zero, because emotions are the basic instrument of our survival and adaptation. Emotions structure the world for us in important ways. As individuals, we categorize objects on the basis of our emotions. True we consider the length, shape, size, or texture, but an object's physical aspects are less important than what it has done or can do to us — hurt us, surprise us, anger us or make us joyful. We also use categorizations colored by emotions in our families, communities, and overall society. Out of our emotional experiences with objects and events comes a social feeling of agreement that certain things and actions are “good” and others are “bad”, and we apply these categories to every aspect of our social life — from what foods we eat and what clothes we wear to how we keep promises and which people our group will accept. In fact, society exploits our emotional reactions and attitudes, such as loyalty, morality, pride, shame, guilt, fear and greed, in order to maintain itself. It gives high rewards to individuals who perform important tasks such as surgery, makes heroes out of individuals for unusual or dangerous achievements such as flying fighter planes in a war, and uses the legal and penal (刑法的) system to make people afraid to engage in antisocial acts.

31. The reason why people might not be able to stay alive in a world without emotion is that     .
A) they would not be able to tell the texture of objects
B) they would not know what was beneficial and what was harmful to them
C) they would not be happy with a life without love
D) they would do things that hurt each other's feelings

32. According to the passage, people's learning activities are possible because they     .
A) believe that emotions are fundamental for them to stay alive?
B) benefit from providing help and support to one another?
C) enjoy being rewarded for doing the right thing?
D) know what is vital to the progress of society

33. It can be inferred from the passage that the economic foundation of society is dependent on     .
A) the ability to make money
B) the will to work for pleasure
C) the capacity to enjoy incentives
D) the categorizations of our emotional experiences

34. Emotions are significant for man's survival and adaptation because     . A) they provide the means by which people view the size or shape of objects
B) they are the basis for the social feeling of agreement by which society is maintained
C) they encourage people to perform dangerous achievements
D) they generate more love than hate among people

35. The emotional aspects of an object are more important than its physical aspects in that they       .
A) help society exploit its members for profit
B) encourage us to perform important tasks
C) help to perfect the legal and penal system
D) help us adapt our behavior to the world surrounding us

Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage:

The Carnegie Foundation report says that many colleges have tried to be “all things to all people”. In doing so, they have increasingly catered to a narrow minded careerism while failing to cultivate a global vision among their students. The current crisis, it contends, does not derive from a legitimate desire to put learning to productive ends. The problem is that in too many academic fields, the work has no context; skills, rather than being means, have become ends. Students are offered a variety of options and allowed to pick their way to a degree. In short, driven by careerism, “the nation's colleges and universities are more successful in providing credentials (diploma) than in providing a quality education for their students.” The report concludes that the special challenge confronting the undergraduate college is one of shaping an “integrated core” of common learning. Such a core would introduce students “to essential knowledge, to connections across the disciplines, and in the end, to application of knowledge to life beyond the campus.”?
Although the key to a good college is a high—quality faculty, the Carnegie study found that most colleges do very little to encourage good teaching. In fact, they do much to undermine it. As one professor observed: “Teaching is important, we are told, and yet faculty know that research and publication matter most.” Not surprisingly, over the last twenty years colleges and universities have failed to graduate half of their four-year degree candidates. Faculty members who dedicate themselves to teaching soon discover that they will not be granted tenure (终身任期), promotion, or substantial salary increases. Yet 70 percent of all faculty say their interests lie more in teaching than in research. Additionally, a frequent complaint among young scholars is that “There is pressure to publish, although there is virtually no interest among administrators or colleagues in the content of the publications.”

36. When a college tries to be “all things to all people”(Lines 1-2, Para. 1), it aims to     .
A) satisfy the needs of all kinds of students simultaneously
B) focus on training students in various skills
C) encourage students to take as many courses as possible
D) make learning serve academic rather than productive ends

37.   By saying that “in too many academic fields, the work has no context”(Lines 4-5, Pare. 1) the author means that the teaching in these areas       .
A) ignores the actual situation
B) is not based on the right perspective
C) only focuses on an integrated core of common learning
D) gives priority to the cultivation of a global vision among students

38. One of the reasons for the current crisis in American colleges and universities is that       .
A) a narrow vocationalism has come to dominate many colleges
B) students don't have enough freedom in choosing what they want to learn
C) skills are being taught as a means to an end
D) students are only interested in obtaining credentials

39. American colleges and universities failed to graduate half of their four-year degree candidates because     .
A) most of them lack high-quality faculties
B) the interests of most faculty members lie in research
C) there are not enough incentives for students to study hard
D) they attach greater importance to research and publication than to teaching

40. It can be inferred from the passage that high-quality college education calls for     .
A) putting academic work in the proper context
B) a commitment to students and effective teaching
C) the practice of putting learning to productive ends
D) dedication to research in frontier areas of knowledge

Unit 15

Part Ⅱ Reading Comprehension
  (35 minutes)
Directions: There are 4 reading passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.

Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage:
We sometimes think humans are uniquely vulnerable to anxiety, but stress seems to affect the immune defenses of lower animals too. In one experiment, for example, behavioral immunologist(免疫学家) Mark Laudenslager, at the University of Denver, gave mild electric shocks to 24 rats. Half the animals could switch off the current by turning a wheel in their enclosure, while the other half could not. The rats in the two groups were paired so that each time one rat turned the wheel it protected both itself and its helpless partner from the shock. Laudenslager found that the immune response was depressed below normal in the helpless rats but not in those that could turn off the electricity. What he has demonstrated, he believes, is that lack of control over an event, not the experience itself, is what weakens the immune system.
Other researchers agree. Jay Weiss, a psychologist at Duke University School of Medicine, has shown that animals who are allowed to control unpleasant stimuli don't develop sleep disturbances or changes in brain chemistry typical of stressed rats. But if the animals are confronted with situations they have no control over, they later behave passively when faced with experiences they can control. Such findings reinforce psychologists' suspicions that the experience or perception of helplessness is one of the most harmful factors in depression.   One of the most startling examples of how the mind can alter the immune response was discovered by chance. In 1975 psychologist Robert Ader at the University of Rochester School of Medicine conditioned(使形成条件反射) mice to avoid saccharin(糖精) by simultaneously feeding them the sweetener and injecting them with a drug that while suppressing their immune systems caused stomach upsets. Associating the saccharin with the stomach pains, the mice quickly learned to avoid the sweetener. In order to extinguish this dislike for the sweetener, Ader reexposed the animals to saccharin, this time without the drug, and was astonished to find that those mice that had received the highest amounts of sweetener during their earlier conditioning died. He could only speculate that he had so successfully conditioned the rats that saccharin alone now served to weaken their immune systems enough to kill them.

21. Laudenslager's experiment showed that the immune system of those rats who could turn off the electricity       .
A) was altered                        C) was weakened
B) was strengthened                              D) was not affected

22. According to the passage, the experience of helplessness causes rats to     .
A) turn off the electricity
B) try to control unpleasant stimuli
C) become abnormally suspicious
D) behave passively in controllable situations

23. The reason why the mice in Ader's experiment avoided saccharin was that.
A) they associated it with stomachaches
B) it affected their immune systems
C) it led to stomach pains
D) they disliked its taste

24. The passage tells us that the most probable reason for the death of the mice in Ader's experiment was that       .
A) the sweetener was poisonous to them
B) their immune systems had been altered by the mind?
C) they had been weakened psychologically by the saccharin?
D) they had taken too much sweetener during earlier conditioning

25. It can be concluded from the passage that the immune systems of animals     .
A) can be altered by electric shocks
B) can be weakened by conditioning
C) can be suppressed by drug injections
D) can be affected by frequent doses of saccharin

Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage:

The destruction of our natural resources and contamination of our food supply continue to occur, largely because of the extreme difficulty in affixing (把……固定) legal responsibility on those who continue to treat our environment with reckless abandon (放任). Attempts to prevent pollution by legislation, economic incentives and friendly persuasion have been met by lawsuits, personal and industrial denial and long delays—not only in accepting responsibility, but more importantly, in doing something about it.   It seems that only when government decides it can afford tax incentives or production sacrifices is there any initiative for change. Where is industry's and our recognition that protecting mankind's great treasure is the single most important responsibility? If ever there will be time for environmental health professionals to come to the frontlines and provide leadership to solve environmental problems, that time is now.
We are being asked, and, in fact, the public is demanding that we take positive action. It is our responsibility as professionals in environmental health to make the difference. Yes, the ecologists, the environmental activists and the conservationists serve to communicate, stimulate thinking and promote behavioral change. However, it is those of us who are paid to make the decisions to develop, improve and enforce environmental standards, I submit, who must lead the charge.   We must recognize that environmental health issues do not stop at city limits, county lines, state or even federal boundaries. We can no longer afford to be tunnel-visioned in our approach. We must visualize issues from every perspective to make the objective decisions. We must express our views clearly to prevent media distortion and public confusion.   I believe we have a three-part mission for the present. First, we must continue to press for improvements in the quality of life that people can make for themselves. Second, we must investigate and understand the link between environment and health. Third, we must be able to communicate technical information in a form that citizens can understand. If we can accomplish these three goals in this decade, maybe we can finally stop environmental degradation, and not merely hold it back. We will then be able to spend pollution dollars truly on prevention rather than on bandages.?

26.   We can infer from the first two paragraphs that the industrialists disregard environmental protection chiefly because     .
A) it is difficult for them to take effective measures
B) time has not yet come for them to put due emphasis on it
C) they are reluctant to sacrifice their own economic interests
D) they are unaware of the consequences of what they are doing

27.   The main task now facing ecologists, environmental activists and conservationists is       .
A) to arouse public awareness of the importance of environmental protection
B) to prevent pollution by legislation, economic incentives and persuasion
C) to improve the quality of life by enforcing environmental standards
D) to take radical measures to control environmental pollution

28. The word “tunnel-visioned”(Line 2, Para.4) most probably means “     ”.
A) narrow-minded                      C) able to see only one aspect
B) short-sighted                      D) blind to the facts

29.   Which of the following, according to the author, should play the leading role in the solution of environmental problems?
A) The cooperation of ecologists, environmental activists and conservationists.
B) The efforts of environmental health professionals.
C) The industry's understanding and support.
D) Legislation and government intervention.

30.   Which of the following is true according to the last paragraph?
A) More money should be spent in order to stop pollution.
B) Environmental degradation will be stopped by the end of this decade.
C) Ordinary citizens have no access to technical information on pollution.
D) Efforts should be exerted on pollution prevention instead of on remedial measures.

Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage:

British universities, groaning under the burden of a huge increase in student numbers, are warning that the tradition of a free education is at risk. The universities have threatened to impose an admission fee on students to plug a gap in revenue if the government does not act to improve their finances and scrap some public spending cutbacks.   The government responded to the universities' threat by setting up the most fundamental review of higher education for a generation, under a non-party troubleshooter(调停人), Sir Ron Dearing.   One in three school-leavers enters higher education, five times the number when the last review took place thirty years ago.   Everyone agrees a system that is feeling the strain after rapid expansion needs a lot more money—but there is little hope of getting it from the taxpayer and not much scope for attracting more finance from business.
Most colleges believe students should contribute to tuition costs, something that is common elsewhere in the world but would mark a revolutionary change in Britain. Universities want the government to introduce a loan scheme for tuition fees and have suspended their own threatened action for now. They await Dearing's advice, hoping it will not be too late—some are already reported to be in financial difficulty.
As the century nears its end, the whole concept of what a university should be is under the microscope. Experts ponder how much they can use computers instead of classrooms, talk of the need for lifelong learning and refer to students as “consumers”.   The Confederation(联盟) of British Industry, the key employers' organization, wants even more expansion in higher education to help fight competition on world markets from booming Asian economies. But the government has doubts about more expansion. The Times newspaper agrees, complaining that quality has suffered as student numbers soared, with close tutorial supervision giving way to “mass production methods more typical of European universities.”

31. The chief concern of British universities is       .
A) how to tackle their present financial difficulty
B) how to improve their educational technology
C) how to expand the enrollment to meet the needs of enterprises
D) how to put an end to the current tendency of quality deterioration

32. We can learn from the passage that in Britain       .
A) higher education is provided free of charge
B) universities are mainly funded by businesses
C) the government pays dearly for its financial policy
D) students are ready to accept loan schemes for tuition

33. What was the percentage of high school graduates admitted to universities in Britain thirty years ago?
A) About 15%.                          C) Below 10%.
B) 20% or so.                          D) Above 30%.

34. It can be inferred from the passage that     .
A) British employers demand an expansion in enrollment at the expense of quality B) the best way out for British universities is to follow their European counterparts
C) the British government will be forced to increase its spending on higher education
D) British students will probably have to pay for their higher education in the near future

35. Which of the following is the viewpoint of the Times newspaper?
A) British universities should expand their enrollment to meet the needs of industry.
B) Expansion in enrollment is bound to affect the quality of British higher education.
C) British universities should help fight competition on world markets.
D) European universities can better meet the needs of the modern world.
Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage:

There's a simple premise behind what Larry Myers does for a living: If you can smell it, you can find it.   Myers is the founder of Auburn University's Institute for Biological Detection Systems, the main task of which is to chase the ultimate in detection devices—an artificial nose.   For now, the subject of their research is little more than a stack of gleaming chips tucked away in a laboratory drawer. But soon, such a tool could be hanging from the belts of police, arson(纵火) investigators and food-safety inspectors.   The technology that they are working on would suggest quite reasonably that, within three to five years, we'll have some workable sensors ready to use. Such devices might find wide use in places that attract terrorists. Police could detect drugs, bodies and bombs hidden in cars, while food inspectors could easily test food and water for contamination.   The implications for revolutionary advances in public safety and the food industry are astonishing. But so, too, are the possibilities for abuse: Such machines could determine whether a woman is ovulating (排卵), without a physical exam—or even her knowledge.   One of the traditional protectors of American liberty is that it has been impossible to search everyone. That's getting not to be the case.
Artificial biosensors created at Auburn work totally differently from anything ever seen before. Aromas can, for example, is a desktop machine based on a bank of chips sensitive to specific chemicals that evaporate into the air. As air is sucked into the machine, chemicals pass over the sensor surfaces and produce changes in the electrical current flowing through them. Those current changes are logged into a computer that sorts out odors based on their electrical signatures.   Myers says they expect to load a single fingernail-size chip with thousands of odor receptors(感受器)， enough to create a sensor that's nearly as sensitive as a dog's nose.

36. Which of the following is within the capacity of the artificial nose being developed?
A) Monitoring food processing.
B) Performing physical examinations.
C) Locating places which attract terrorists.
D) Detecting drugs and water contamination.

37. A potential problem which might be caused by the use of an artificial nose is       .
A) a hazard to physical health
B) negligence of public safety
C) a threat to individual privacy
D) an abuse of personal freedom

38. The word “logged”(Line 5, Para. 7) most probably means “     ”.
A) preset                         C) entered
B) simulated                          D) processed

39. To produce artificial noses for practical use, it is essential     .
A) to find chemicals that can alter the electrical current passing through
B) to develop microchips with thousands of odor receptors
C) to design a computer program to sort out smells
D) to invent chips sensitive to various chemicals

40. The author's attitude towards Larry Myers' work is   .
A) approving                          C)cautious
B) overenthusiastic                      D) suspicious
Unit 16

Part Ⅱ Reading Comprehension
  (35 minutes)
Directions: There are 4 reading passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.

Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage:
In the world of entertainment, TV talk shows have undoubtedly flooded every inch of space on daytime television. And anyone who watches them regularly knows that each one varies in style and format. But no two shows are more profoundly opposite in content, while at the same time standing out above the rest, than the Jerry Springer and the Oprah Winfrey shows.
Jerry Springer could easily be considered the king of “trash talk(废话)”. The topics on his show are as shocking as shocking can be. For example, the show takes the ever-common talk show themes of love, sex, cheating, guilt, hate, conflict and morality to a different level. Clearly, the Jerry Springer show is a display and exploitation of society's moral catastrophes (灾难), yet people are willing to eat up the intriguing predicaments (困境) of other people's lives.
Like Jerry Springer, Oprah Winfrey takes TV talk show to its extreme, but Oprah goes in the opposite direction. The show focuses on the improvement of society and an individual's quality of life. Topics range from teaching your children responsibility, managing your work weekly, to getting to know your neighbors.
Compared to Oprah, the Jerry Springer show looks like poisonous waste being dumped on society. Jerry ends every show with a “final word”. He makes a small speech that sums up the entire moral of the show. Hopefully, this is the part where most people will learn something very valuable.
Clear as it is, the Oprah show is not for everyone. The show's main target audience are middle-class Americans. Most of these people have the time, money, and stability to deal with life's tougher problems. Jerry Springer, on the other hand, has more of an association with the young adults of society. These are 18-to 21-year-olds whose main troubles in life involve love, relationship, sex, money and peers. They are the ones who see some value and lessons to be learned underneath the show's exploitation.?
While the two shows are as different as night and day, both have ruled the talk show circuit for many years now. Each one caters to a different audience while both have a strong following from large groups of fans. Ironically, both could also be considered pioneers in the talk show world.

21.   Compared with other TV talk shows, both the Jerry Springer and the Oprah Winfrey are       .
A) more family-oriented
B) unusually popular
C) more profound
D) relatively formal

22.   Though the social problems Jerry Springer talks about appear distasteful, the audience       .
A) remain fascinated by them
B) are ready to face up to them
C) remain indifferent to them
D) are willing to get involved in them

23. Which of the following is likely to be a topic of the Oprah Winfrey show?
A) A new type of robot.
B) Racist hatred.
C) Family budget planning.
D) Street violence.

24. Despite their different approaches, the two talk shows are both   .
A) ironical                      C) instructive
?   B) sensitive                      D) cynical
25.   We can learn from the passage that the two talk shows       .
A) have monopolized the talk show circuit
B) exploit the weaknesses in human nature
C) appear at different times of the day
D) are targeted at different audiences
??
Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage: ??
To understand the marketing concept, it is only necessary to understand the difference between marketing and selling. Not too many years ago, most industries concentrated primarily on the efficient production of goods, and then relied on “persuasive salesmanship” to move as much of these goods as possible. Such production and selling focuses on the needs of the seller to produce goods and then convert them into money.
Marketing, on the other hand, focuses on the wants of consumers. It begins with first analyzing the preferences and demands of consumers and then producing goods that will satisfy them. This eye-on-the-consumer approach is known as the marketing concept, which simply means that instead of trying to sell whatever is easiest to produce or buy for resale, the makers and dealers first endeavor to find out what the consumer wants to buy and then go about making it available for purchase.
This concept does not imply that business is benevolent(慈善) or that consumer satisfaction is given priority over profit in a company. There are always two sides to every business transaction—the firm and the customer—and each must be satisfied before trade occurs. Successful merchants and producers, however, recognize that the surest route to profit is through understanding and catering to customers. A striking example of the importance of catering to the consumer presented itself in mid_1985, when Coca Cola changed the flavor of its drink. The nonacceptance of the new flavor by a significant portion of the public brought about a prompt restoration of the Classic Coke, which was then marketed alongside the new. King Customer ruled!

26.The marketing concept discussed in the passage is, in essence,
A) the practice of turning goods into money
B) making goods available for purchase
C) the customer-centred approach
D) a form of persuasive salesmanship

27. What was the main concern of industrialists before the marketing concept was widely accepted?
A) The needs of the market.
B) The efficiency of production.
C) The satisfaction of the user.
D) The preferences of the dealer.

28. According to the passage, “to move as much of these goods as possible” (Lines 3_4, Para. 1)
means “     ”.
A) to sell the largest possible amount of good
B) to transport goods as efficiently as possible
C) to dispose of these goods in large quantities
D) to redesign these goods for large-scale production

29. What does the restoration of the Classic Coke best illustrate?
A) Traditional goods have a stronger appeal to the majority of people.
B) It takes time for a new product to be accepted by the public.
C) Consumers with conservative tastes are often difficult to please.
D) Products must be designed to suit the taste of the consumer.

30.   In discussing the marketing concept, the author focuses on         . A) its main characteristic
B) its social impact
C) its possible consequence
D) its theoretical basis
??
Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage: ??
Conventional wisdom about conflict seems pretty much cut and dried. Too little conflict breeds apathy(冷漠) and stagnation(呆滞). Too much conflict leads to divisiveness([屏蔽]) and hostility. Moderate levels of conflict, however, can spark creativity and motivate people in a healthy and competitive way.
Recent research by Professor Charles R. Schwenk, however, suggests that the optimal level of conflict may be more complex to determine than these simple generalizations. He studied perceptions of conflict among a sample of executives. Some of the executives worked for profit-seeking organizations and others for not-for-profit organizations.
Somewhat surprisingly, Schwenk found that opinions about conflict varied systematically as a function of the type of organization. Specifically, managers in not-for-profit organizations strongly believed that conflict was beneficial to their organizations and that it promoted higher quality decision making than might be achieved in the absence of conflict.
Managers of for-profit organizations saw a different picture. They believed that conflict generally was damaging and usually led to poor-quality decision making in their organizations. Schwenk interpreted these results in terms of the criteria for effective decision making suggested by the executives. In the profit-seeking organizations, decision-making effectiveness was most often assessed in financial terms. The executives believed that consensus rather than conflict enhanced financial indicators.
In the not-for-profit organizations, decision-making effectiveness was defined from the perspective of satisfying constituents. Given the complexities and ambiguities associated with satisfying many diverse constituents executives perceived that conflict led to more considered and acceptable decisions.

31.   In the eyes of the author, conventional opinion on conflict is       .
A) wrong                              C) misleading
B) oversimplified                          D) unclear

32.   Professor Charles R. Schwenk's research shows       .
A) the advantages and disadvantages of conflict
B) the real value of conflict
C) the difficulty in determining the optimal level of conflict
D) the complexity of defining the roles of conflict

33.   We can learn from Schwenk's research that       .
A) a person's view of conflict is influenced by the purpose of his organization
B) conflict is necessary for managers of for-profit organizations
C) different people resolve conflicts in different ways
D) it is impossible for people to avoid conflict

34.   The passage suggests that in for-profit organization     .
A) there is no end of conflict
B) expression of different opinions is encouraged
C) decisions must be justifiable
D) success lies in general agreement

35.   People working in a not-for-profit organization     .
A) seem to be difficult to satisfy
B) are free to express diverse opinions
C) are less effective in making decisions
D) find it easier to reach agreement
??
Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage:
Imagine eating everything delicious you want—with none of the fat. That would be great, wouldn't it?
New “fake fat” products appeared on store shelves in the United States recently, but not everyone is happy about it. Makers of the products, which contain a compound called olestra, say food manufacturers can now eliminate fat from certain foods. Critics, however, say the new compound can rob the body of essential vitamins and nutrients (营养物) and can also cause unpleasant side effects in some people. So it's up to consumers to decide whether the new fat-free products taste good enough to keep eating.
Chemists discovered olestra in the late 1960s, when they were searching for a fat that could be digested by infants more easily. Instead of finding the desired fat, the researchers created a fat that can't be digested at all.
Normally, special chemicals in the intestines (肠)“grab” molecules of regular fat and break them down so they can be used by the body. A molecule of regular fat is made up of three molecules of substances called fatty acids.
The fatty acids are absorbed by the intestines and bring with them the essential vitamins A, D, E, and K. When fat molecules are present in the intestines with any of those vitamins, the vitamins attach to the molecules and are carried into the bloodstream.
Olestra, which is made from six to eight molecules of fatty acids, is too large for the intestines to absorb. It just slides through the intestines without being broken down. Manufacturers say it's that ability to slide unchanged through the intestines that makes olestra so valuable as a fat substitute. It provides consumers with the taste of regular fat without any bad effects on the body. But critics say olestra can prevent vitamins A, D, E, and K from being absorbed. It can also prevent the absorption of carotenoids(类胡萝卜素)，compounds that may reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, etc.
Manufacturers are adding vitamins A, D, E, and K as well as carotenoids to their products now. Even so, some nutritionists are still concerned that people might eat unlimited amounts of food made with the fat substitute without worrying about how many calories they are consuming.??

36.   We learn from the passage that olestra is a substance that       .
A) contains plenty of nutrients
B) renders foods calorie-free while retaining their vitamins
C) makes foods easily digestible
D) makes foods fat-free while keeping them delicious

37. The result of the search for an easily digestible fat turned out to be       .
A) commercially useless
B) just as anticipated
C) somewhat controversial
D) quite unexpected

38. Olestra is different from ordinary fats in that       . ?
A) it passes through the intestines without being absorbed
B) it facilitates the absorption of vitamins by the body
C) it helps reduce the incidence of heart disease
D) it prevents excessive intake of vitamins

39.   What is a possible negative effect of olestra according to some critics? ?
A) It may impair the digestive system.
B) It may affect the overall fat intake.
C) It may increase the risk of cancer.
D) It may spoil the consumers' appetite.

40.   Why are nutritionists concerned about adding vitamins to olestra? ?
A) It may lead to the over-consumption of vitamins.
B) People may be induced to eat more than is necessary.
C) The function of the intestines may be weakened.
D) It may trigger a new wave of fake food production.


Unit 17   ?
?
Part Ⅱ Reading Comprehension ?
  (35 minutes)?
Directions: There are 4 reading passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.? ?

Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage: ?
In the 1920s demand for American farm products fell, as European countries began to recover from World War Ⅰ and instituted austerity(紧缩) programs to reduce their imports. The result was a sharp drop in farm prices. This period was more disastrous for farmers than earlier times had been, because farmers were no longer self-sufficient. They were paying for machinery, seed, and fertilizer, and they were also buying consumer goods. The prices of the items farmers bought remained constant, while prices they received for their products fell. These developments were made worse by the Great Depression, which began in 1929 and extended throughout the 1930s.
In 1929, under President Herbert Hoover, the Federal Farm Board was organized. It established the principle of direct interference with supply and demand, and it represented the first national commitment to provide greater economic stability for farmers.
President Hoover's successor attached even more importance to this problem. One of the first measures proposed by President Franklin D.Roosevelt when he took office in 1933 was the Agricultural Adjustment Act, which was subsequently passed by Congress. This law gave the Secretary of Agriculture the power to reduce production through voluntary agreements with farmers who were paid to take their land out of use. A deliberate scarcity of farm products was planned in an effort to raise prices. This law was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court on the grounds that general taxes were being collected to pay one special group of people. However, new laws were passed immediately that achieved the same result ofresting soil and providing flood-control measures, but which were based on the principle of soil conservation. The Roosevelt Administration believed that rebuilding the nation's soil was in the national interest and was not simply a plan to help farmers at the expense of other citizens. Later the government guaranteed loans to farmers so that they could buy farm machinery, hybrid(杂交) grain, and fertilizers.

?
21.   What brought about the decline in the demand for American farm products? ?
A) The impact of the Great Depression.
B) The shrinking of overseas markets.
C) The destruction caused by the First World War.
D) The increased exports of European countries.

22. The chief concern of the American government in the area of agriculturein the 1920s was       . ?
A)    to increase farm production
B) to establish agricultural laws
C) to prevent farmers from going bankrupt
D) to promote the mechanization of agriculture

23.   The Agricultural Adjustment Act encouraged American farmers to     . ?
A) reduce their scale of production
B) make full use of their land
C) adjust the prices of their farm products
D) be self-sufficient in agricultural production

24. The Supreme Court rejected the Agricultural Adjustment Act because it believed that the Act     . ?
A) might cause greater scarcity of farm products
B) didn't give the Secretary of Agriculture enough power
C) would benefit neither the government nor the farmers
D) benefited one group of citizens at the expense of others

25. It was claimed that the new laws passed during the Roosevelt Administration were aimed
at     . ?
A) reducing the cost of farming
B) conserving soil in the long-term interest of the nation
C) lowering the burden of farmers
D) helping farmers without shifting the burden onto other taxpayers
?
?
Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage: ??
In the 1950s, the pioneers of artificial intelligence(AI) predicted that, by the end of this century, computers would be conversing with us at work and robots would be performing our housework. But as useful as computers are, they're nowhere close to achieving anything remotely resembling these early aspirations for humanlike behavior. Never mind something as complex as conversation: the most powerful computers struggle to reliably recognize the shape of an object, the most elementary of tasks for a ten-month-old kid.
A growing group of AI researchers think they know where the field went wrong. The problem, the scientists say, is that AI has been trying to separate the highest, most abstract levels of thought, like language and mathematics, and to duplicate them with logical, step-by-step programs. A new movement in AI, on the other hand, takes a closer look at the more roundabout way in which nature came up with intelligence. Many of these researchers study evolution and natural adaptation instead of formal logic and conventional computer programs. Rather than digital computers and transistors, some want to work with brain cells and proteins. The results of these early efforts are as promising as they are peculiar, and the new nature-based AI movement is slowly but surely moving to the forefront of the field.
Imitating the brain's neural (神经的)network is a huge step in the right direction, says computer scientist and biophysicist Michael Conrad, but it still misses an important aspect of natural intelligence. “people tend to treat the brain as if it were made up of color-coded transistors,” he explains. “But it's not simply a clever network of switches. There are lots of important things going on inside the brain cells themselves.” Specifically, Conrad believes that many of the brain’s capabilities stem from the pattern-recognition proficiency of the individual molecules that make up each brain cell. The best way to build an artificially intelligent device, he claims, would be to build it around the same sort of molecular skills.
Right now, the notion that conventional computers and software are fundamentally incapable of matching the processes that take place in the brain remains controversial. But if it proves true, then the efforts of Conrad and his fellow AI rebels could turn out to be the only game in town.
?
26.   The author says that the powerful computers of today       . ?
A) are capable of reliably recognizing the shape of an object
B) are close to exhibiting humanlike behavior
C) are not very different in their performance from those of the 50's
D) still cannot communicate with people in a human language

27.   The new trend in artificial intelligence research stems from     . ?
A) the shift of the focus of study on to the recognition of the shapes of objects
B) the belief that human intelligence cannot be duplicated with logical, step-by-step programs
C) the aspirations of scientists to duplicate the intelligence of a ten-month-old child
D) the efforts made by scientists in the study of the similarities between transistors and brain cells

28. Conrad and his group of AI researchers have been making enormous efforts to       . ?
A) find a roundabout way to design powerful computers
B) build a computer using a clever network of switches
C) find out how intelligence developed in nature
D) separate the highest and most abstract levels of thought

29. What's the author's opinion about the new AI movement? ?
A) It has created a sensation among artificial intelligence researchers but will soon die out.
B) It's a breakthrough in duplicating human thought processes.
C) It's more like a peculiar game rather than a real scientific effort.
D) It may prove to be in the right direction though nobody is sure of its future prospects.

30. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the phrase “the only game in town” (line 3, Para.4)?
A) The only approach to building an artificially intelligent computer.
B) The only way for them to win a prize in artificial intelligence research.
C) The only area worth studying in computer science.
D) The only game they would like to play in town.
?
Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage: ??
Cars account for half the oil consumed in the U.S., about half the urban pollution and one fourth the greenhouse(温室) gases. They take a similar toll of (损耗) resources in other industrial nations and in the cities of the developing world. As vehicle use continues to increase in the coming decade, the U.S. and other countries will have to deal with these issues or else face unacceptable economic, health-related and political costs. It is unlikely that oil prices will remain at their current low level or that other nations will accept a large and growing U.S. contribution to global climatic change.
Policymakers and industry have four options: reduce vehicle use, increase the efficiency and reduce the emissions of conventional gasoline-powered vehicles, switch to less harmful fuels, or find less polluting driving systems. The last of these—in particular the introduction of vehicles powered by electricity—is ultimately the only sustainable option. The other alternatives are attractive in theory but in practice are either impractical or offer only marginal improvements. For example, reduced vehicle use could solve traffic problems and a host of social and environmental problems, but evidence from around the world suggests that it is very difficult to make people give up their cars to any significant extent. In the U.S., mass-transit ridership and carpooling(合伙用车) have declined since World War Ⅱ. Even in western Europe, with fuel prices averaging more than 1 a liter(about ?4 a gallon) and with easily accessible mass transit and dense populations, cars still account for 80 percent of all passenger travel.
Improved energy efficiency is also appealing, but automotive fuel economy has barely made any progress in 10 years. Alternative fuels such as natural gas, burned in internal-combustion engines, could be introduced at relatively low cost, but they would lead to only marginal reductions in pollution and greenhouse emissions(especially because oil companies are already spending billions of dollars every year to do develop less pollution types of gasoline.)

31.   From the passage we know that the increased use of cars will     . ?
A) consume half of the oil produced in the world
B) have serious consequences for the well-being of all nations
C) widen the gap between the developed and developing countries
D) impose an intolerable economic burden on residents of large cities

32. The U.S. has to deal with the problems arising from vehicle use because   . ?
A) most Americans are reluctant to switch to public transportation systems
B) the present level of oil prices is considered unacceptable
C) other countries will protest its increasing greenhouse emissions
D) it should take a lead in conserving natural resources

33. Which of the following is the best solution to the problems mentioned in the passage? ?
A) The designing of highly efficient car engines.
B) A reduction of vehicle use in cities.
C) The development of electric cars.
D) The use of less polluting fuels.

34. Which of the following is practical but only makes a marginal contribution to solving the problem of greenhouse emissions? ?
A) The use of fuels other than gasoline.
B) Improved energy efficiency.
C) The introduction of less polluting driving systems.
D) Reducing car use by carpooling.

35. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A) The decline of public transportation accounts for increased car use in western Europe.
B) Cars are popular in western Europe even though fuel prices are fairly high.
C) The reduction of vehicle use is the only sustainable option in densely populated western Europe.
D) Western European oil companies cannot sustain the cost of developing new-type fuels.
?
Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage: ??
Reebok executives do not like to hear stylish athletic shoes called “footwear for yuppies(雅皮士，少壮高薪职业人士)”. They contend that Reebok shoes appeal to diverse market segments. Especially now that the company offers basketball and children's shoes for the under_18 set and walking shoes for older customers not interested in aerobics (健身操) or running. The executives also point out that through recent acquisitions they have added hiking boots, dress and casual shoes, and high-performance athletic footwear to their product lines, all of which should attract new and varied groups of customers.
Still, despite its emphasis on new markets, Reebok plans few changes in the unmarked(高档消费人群的)retailing network that helped push sales to $1 billion annually, ahead of all other sports shoe marketers. Reebok shoes, which are priced from $27 to $85, will continue to be sold only in better specialty, sporting goods, and department stores, in accordance with the company's view that consumers judge the quality of the brand by the quality of its distribution.
In the past few years, the Massachusetts-based company has imposed limits on the number of its distributors(and the number of shoes supplied to stores), partly out of necessity. At times the unexpected demand for Reeboks exceeded supply, and the company could barely keep up with orders from the dealers it already had. These fulfillment problems seem to be under control now, but the company is still selective about its distributors. At present, Reebok shoes are available in about five thousand retail stores in the United States.
Reebok has already anticipated that walking shoes will be the next fitness-related craze replacing aerobics shoes the same way its brightly colored, soft leather exercise footwear replaced conventional running shoes. Through product diversification and careful market research, Reebok hopes to avoid the distribution problems Nike came across several years ago, when Nike misjudged the strength of the aerobics shoe craze and was forced to unload huge inventories of running shoes through discount stores.
??
36. One reason why Reebok's managerial personnel don't like their shoes to be called “footwear for yuppies” is that     . ?
A) they believe that their shoes are popular with people of different age groups
B) new production lines have been added to produce inexpensive shoes
C) “yuppies” usually evokes a negative image
D) the term makes people think of prohibitive prices

37. Reebok's view that “consumers judge the quality of the brand by the quality of its distribution” (Line 5, para. 2) implies that     . ?
A) the quality of a brand is measured by the service quality of the store selling it
B) the quality of a product determines the quality of its distributors
C) the popularity of a brand is determined by the stores that sell it.
D)   consumers believe that first-rate products are only sold by high-quality stores

38.Reebok once had to limit the number of its distributors because     . ?
A) its supply of products fell short of demand
B) too many distributors would cut into its profits
C) the reduction of distributors could increase its share of the market
D) it wanted to enhance consumer confidence in its products

39. Although the Reebok Company has solved the problem of fulfilling its orders, it       .
A) does not want to further expand its retailing network
B) still limits the number of shoes supplied to stores
C) is still particular about who sells its products
D) still carefully chooses the manufacturers of its products

40.   What lesson has Reebok learned from Nike's distribution problems?   A) A company should not sell its high quality shoes in discount stores.
B) A company should not limit its distribution network.
C) A company should do follow-up surveys of its products.
D) A company should correctly evaluate the impact of a new craze on the market.


Unit 18

  Part    II    Reading Comprehension    
(35 minutes)
Passage One
Questions 11 to 15 are based on the following passage.
Birds that are literally half-asleep─with one brain hemisphere alert and the other sleeping─control which side of the brain remains awake, according to a new study of sleeping ducks.
   Earlier studies have documented half-brain sleep in a wide range of birds. The brain hemispheres take turns sinking into the sleep stage characterized by slow brain waves. The eye controlled by the sleeping hemisphere keeps shut, while the wakeful hemisphere’s eye stays open and alert. Birds also can sleep with both hemispheres resting at once.
   Decades of studies of bird flocks led researchers to predict extra alertness in the more vulnerable, end-of-the-row sleepers. Sure enough, the end birds tended to watch carefully on the side away from their companions. Ducks in the inner spots showed no preference for gaze direction.
   Also, birds dozing(打盹) at the end of the line resorted to single-hemisphere sleep, rather than total relaxation, more often than inner ducks did. Rotating 16 birds through the positions in a four-duck row, the researchers found outer birds half-asleep during some 32 percent of dozing time versus about 12 percent for birds in internal spots.
“We believe this is the first evidence for an animal behaviorally controlling sleep and wakefulness simultaneously in different regions of the brain,” the researchers say.
The results provide the best evidence for a long-standing supposition that single-hemisphere sleep evolved as creatures scanned for enemies. The preference for opening an eye on the lookout side could be widespread, he predicts. He’s seen it in a pair of birds dozing side-by-side in the zoo and in a single pet bird sleeping by a mirror. The mirror-side eye closed as if the reflection were a companion and the other eye stayed open.
Useful as half-sleeping might be, it’s only been found in birds and such water mammals（哺[屏蔽]动物）as dolphins, whales, and seals. Perhaps keeping one side of the brain awake allows a sleeping animal to surface occasionally to avoid drowning.
Studies of birds may offer unique insights into sleep. Jerome M. Siegel of the UCLA says he wonders if birds’ half-brain sleep “is just the tip of the iceberg（冰山）.” He speculates that more examples may turn up when we take a closer look at other species.

11.A new study on birds’ sleep has revealed that     .
A)    half-brain sleep is found in a wide variety of birds
B)    half-brain sleep is characterized by slow brain waves
C)    birds can control their half-brain sleep consciously
D)    birds seldom sleep with the whole of their brain at rest

12.According to the passage, birds often half sleep because     .
A)    they have to watch out for possible attacks
B)    their brain hemispheres take turns to rest
C)    the two halves of their brain are differently structured
D)    they have to constantly keep an eye on their companions

13.The example of a bird sleeping in front of a mirror indicates that     .
A)    the phenomenon of birds dozing in pairs is widespread
B)    birds prefer to sleep in pairs for the sake of security
C)    even an imagined companion gives the bird a sense of security
D)    a single pet bird enjoys seeing its own reflection in the mirror

14.While sleeping, some water mammals tend to keep half awake in order to     .
A)    alert themselves to the approaching enemy
B)    emerge from water now and then to breathe
C)    be sensitive to the ever-changing environment
D)    avoid being swept away by rapid currents

15.By “just the tip of the iceberg” (Line 2, Para. 8), Siegel suggests that     .
A)    half-brain sleep has something to do with icy weather
B)    the mystery of half-brain sleep is close to being sleepers
C)    most birds living in cold regions tend to be half sleepers
D)    half-brain sleep is a phenomenon that could exist among other species

Passage Two
Questions 16 to 20 are based on the following passage.
   A nine-year-old schoolgirl single-handedly cooks up a science-fair experiment that ends up debunking（揭穿…的[屏蔽]）a widely practiced medical treatment. Emily Rosa’s target was a practice known as therapeutic（治疗的）touch(TT for short), whose advocates manipulate patients’ “energy field” to make them feel better and even, say some, to cure them of various ills. Yet Emily’s test shows that these energy fields can’t be detected, even by trained TT practitioners（行医者）. Obviously mindful of the publicity value of the situation, Journal editor George Lundberg appeared on TV to declare, “Age doesn’t matter. It’s good science that matters, and this is good science.”
   Emily’s mother Linda Rosa, a registered nurse, has been campaigning against TT for nearly a decade. Linda first thought about TT in the late ‘80s, when she learned it was on the approved list for continuing nursing education in Colorado. Its 100,000 trained practitioners (48,000 in the U.S.) don’t even touch their patients. Instead, they waved their hands a few inches from the patient’s body, pushing energy fields around until they’re in “balance.” TT advocates say these manipulations can help heal wounds, relieve pain and reduce fever. The claims are taken seriously enough that TT therapists are frequently hired by leading hospitals, at up to $70 an hour, to smooth patients’ energy, sometimes during surgery.
   Yet Rosa could not find any evidence that it works. To provide such proof, TT therapists would have to sit down for independent testing-something they haven’t been eager to do, even though James Randi has offered more than $1 million to anyone who can demonstrate the existence of a human energy field. (He’s had one taker so far. She failed). A skeptic might conclude that TT practitioners are afraid to lay their beliefs on the line. But who could turn down an innocent fourth-grader? Says Emily: “I think they didn’t take me very seriously because I’m a kid.”
   The experiment was straightforward: 21 TT therapists stuck their hands, palms up, through a screen. Emily held her own hand over one of theirs─left or right─and the practitioners had to say which hand it was. When the results were recorded, they’d done no better than they would have by simply guessing. If there was an energy field, they couldn’t feel it.

16.    Which of the following is evidence that TT is widely practiced?
A)    TT has been in existence for decades.
B)    Many patients were cured by therapeutic touch.
C)    TT therapists are often employed by leading hospitals.
D)    More than 100,000 people are undergoing TT treatment.

17.   Very few TT practitioners responded to the $1 million offer because     .
A)    they didn’t take the offer seriously
B)    they didn’t want to risk their career
C)    they were unwilling to reveal their secret
D)    they thought it was not in line with their practice

18. The purpose of Emily Rosa’s experiment was     .
A)    to see why TT could work the way it did
B)    to find out how TT cured patients’ illnesses
C)    to test whether she could sense the human energy field
D)    to test whether a human energy field really existed

19.    Why did some TT practitioners agree to be the subjects of Emily’s experiment?
A)    It involved nothing more than mere guessing.
B)    They thought it was going to be a lot of fun.
C)    It was more straightforward than other experiments.
D)    They sensed no harm in a little girl’s experiment.

20.    What can we learn from the passage?
A)    Some widely accepted beliefs can be deceiving.
B)    Solid evidence weights more than pure theories.
C)    Little children can be as clever as trained TT practitioners.
D)    The principle of TT is too profound to understand.

Passage Three
Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage.
   What might driving on an automated highway be like? The answer depends on what kind of system is ultimately adopted. Two distinct types are on the drawing board. The first is a special purpose lane system, in which certain lanes are reserved for automated vehicles. The second is a mixed traffic system: fully automated vehicles would share the road with partially automated or manually driven cars. A special-purpose lane system would require more extensive physical modifications to existing highways, but it promises the greatest gains in freeway(高速公路) capacity.
Under either scheme, the driver would specify the desired destination, furnishing this information to a computer in the car at the beginning of the trip or perhaps just before reaching the automated highway. If a mixed traffic system was in place, automated driving could begin whenever the driver was on suitable equipped roads. If special-purpose lanes were available, the car could enter them and join existing traffic in two different ways. One method would use a special onramp（入口引道）. As the driver approached the point of entry for the highway, devices installed on the roadside would electronically check the vehicle to determine its destination and to ascertain that it had the proper automation equipment in good working order. Assuming it passed such tests, the driver would then be guided through a gate and toward an automated lane. In this case, the transition from manual to automated control would take place on the entrance ramp. An alternative technique could employ conventional lanes, which would be shared by automated and regular vehicles. The driver would steer onto the highway and move in normal fashion to a “transition” lane. The vehicle would then shift under computer control onto a lane reserved for automated traffic. (The limitation of these lanes to automated traffic would, presumably, be well respected, because all trespassers（非法进入者） could be swiftly identified by authorities.)
Either approach to joining a lane of automated traffic would harmonize the movement of newly entering vehicles with those already traveling. Automatic control here should allow for smooth merging, without the usual uncertainties and potential for accidents. And once a vehicle had settled into automated travel, the driver would be free to release the wheel, open the morning paper or just relax.

21. We learn from the first paragraph that two systems of automated highways     .
A) are being planned                C) are now in wide use
B) are being modified                D) are under construction

22.   A special-purpose lane system is probably advantageous in that     .
A)    it would require only minor changes to existing highways
B)    it would achieve the greatest highway traffic efficiency
C)    it has a lane for both automated and partially automated vehicles
D)    it offers more lanes for automated vehicles

23.    Which of the following is true about driving on an automated highway?
A)    Vehicles traveling on it are assigned different lanes according to their destinations.
B)    A car can join existing traffic any time in a mixed lane system.
C)    The driver should inform his car computer of his destination before driving onto it.
D)    The driver should share the automated lane with those of regular vehicles.

24.   We know from the passage that a car can enter a special-purpose lane     .
A)    by smoothly merging with cars on the conventional lane
B)    by way of a ramp with electronic control devices
C)    through a specially guarded gate
D)    after all trespassers are identified and removed

25.   When driving in an automated lane, the driver     .
A)    should harmonize with newly entering cars
B)    doesn’t have to rely on his computer system
C)    should watch out for potential accidents
D)    doesn’t have to hold on to the steering wheel

Passage Four
Questions 21 to 30 are based on the following passage.
   Taking charge of yourself involves putting to rest some very prevalent myths. At the top of the list is the notion that intelligence is measured by your ability to solve complex problems; to read, write and compute at certain levels; and to resolve abstract equations quickly. This vision of intelligence asserts formal education and bookish excellence as the true measures of self-fulfillment. It encourages a kind of intellectual prejudice that has brought with it some discouraging results. We have come to believe that someone who has more educational merit badges, who is very good at some form of school discipline is “intelligent.” Yet mental hospitals are filed with patients who have all of the properly lettered certificates. A truer indicator of intelligence is an effective, happy life lived each day and each present moment of every day.
   If you are happy, if you live each moment for everything it’s worth, then you are an intelligent person. Problem solving is a useful help to your happiness, but if you know that given your inability to resolve a particular concern you can still choose happiness for yourself, or at a minimum refuse to choose unhappiness, then you are intelligent. You are intelligent because you have the ultimate weapon against the big N.B.D.─Nervous Break Down.
   “Intelligent” people do not have N.B.D.’s because they are in charge of themselves. They know how to choose happiness over depression, because they know how to deal with the problems of their lives.
   You can begin to think of yourself as truly intelligent on the basis of how you choose to feel in the face of trying circumstances. The life struggles are pretty much the same for each of us. Everyone who is involved with other human beings in any social context has similar difficulties. Disagreements, conflicts and compromises are a part of what it means to be human. Similarly, money, growing old, sickness, deaths, natural disasters and accidents are all events which present problems to virtually all human beings. But some people are able to make it, to avoid immobilizing depression and unhappiness despite such occurrences, while others collapse or have an N.B.D. Those who recognize problems as a human condition and don’t measure happiness by an absence of problems are the most intelligent kind of humans we know; also, the most rare.

26.    According to the author, the conventional notion of intelligence measured in terms of one’s ability to read, write and compute     .
A) is a widely held but wrong concept    C) is the root of all mental distress
B) will help eliminate intellectual prejudice    D) will contribute to one’s self-fulfillment

27.   It is implied in the passage that holding a university degree     .
A)    may result in one’s inability to solve complex real-life problems
B)    does not indicate one’s ability to write properly worded documents
C)    may make one mentally sick and physically weak
D)    does not mean that one is highly intelligent

28.   The author thinks that an intelligent person knows     .
A)    how to put up with some very prevalent myths
B)    how to find the best way to achieve success in life
C)    how to avoid depression and make his life worthwhile
D)    how to persuade others to compromise

29.   In the last paragraph, the author tells us that     .
A)    difficulties are but part of everyone’s life
B)    depression and unhappiness are unavoidable in life
C)    everybody should learn to avoid trying circumstances
D)    good feelings can contribute to eventual academic excellence

30.    According to the passage, what kind of people are rare?
A)    Those who don’t emphasize bookish excellence in their pursuit of happiness.
B)    Those who are aware of difficulties in life but know how to avoid unhappiness.
C)    Those who measure happiness by an absence of problems but seldom suffer from N.B. D.’s.
D)Those who are able to secure happiness though having to struggle against trying circumstances


Uint19

Part II    Reading Comprehension
(35 minutes)
Passage One
Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage.
   Our culture has caused most Americans to assume not only that our language is universal but that the gestures we use are understood by everyone. We do not realize that waving good-bye is the way to summon a person from the Philippines to one’s side, or that in Italy and some Latin-American countries, curling the finger to oneself is a sign of farewell.
   Those private citizens who sent packages to our troops occupying Germany after World War II and marked them GIFT to escape duty payments did not bother to find out that “Gift” means poison in German. Moreover, we like to think of ourselves as friendly, yet we prefer to be at least 3 feet or an arm’s length away from others. Latins and Middle Easterners like to come closer and touch, which makes Americans uncomfortable.
   Our linguistic (语言上的) and cultural blindness and the casualness with which we take notice of the developed tastes, gestures, customs and language of other countries, are losing us friends, business and respect in the world.
   Even here in the United States, we make few concessions to the needs of foreign visitors. There are no information signs in four language on our public buildings or monuments; we do not have multilingual（多语的）guided tours. Very few restaurant menus have translations, and multilingual waiters, bank clerks and policemen are rare. Our transportation systems have maps in English only and often we ourselves have difficulty understanding them.
   When we go abroad, we tend to cluster in hotels and restaurants where English is spoken. The attitudes and information we pick up are conditioned by those natives—usually the richer—who speak English. Our business dealings, as well as the nation’s diplomacy, are conducted through interpreters.
   For many years, America and Americans could get by with cultural blindness and linguistic ignorance. After all, America was the most powerful country of the free world, the distributor of needed funds and goods.
   But all that is past. American dollars no longer buy all good things, and we are slowly beginning to realize that our proper role in the world is changing. A 1979 Harris poll reported that 55 percent of Americans want this country to play a more significant role in world affairs; we want to have a hand in the important decisions of the next century, even tough it may not always be the upper hand.
21.    It can be inferred that Americans being approached too closely by Middle Easterners would most probably    .
A)    stand still            
B)    jump aside            
C)    step forward            
D) draw back

22.    The author gives many examples to criticize Americans for their    .
A)    cultural self-centeredness            C) indifference towards foreign visitors
B)    casual manners                D) arrogance towards other cultures

23.    In countries other than their own most Americans    .
A)    are isolated by the local people
B)    are not well informed due to the language barrier
C)    tend to get along well with the natives
D)    need interpreters in hotels and restaurants

24.   According to the author, American’s cultural blindness and linguistic ignorance will       .
A)    affect their image in the new era
B)    cut themselves off from the outside world
C)    limit their role in world affairs
D)    weaken the position of the US dollar

25.    The author’s intention in writing this article is to make Americans realize that         .
A)    it is dangerous to ignore their foreign friends
B)    it is important to maintain their leading role in world affairs
C)    it is necessary to use several languages in public places
D)    it is time to get acquainted with other cultures

Passage Two
Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage.
   In department stores and closets all over the world, they are waiting. Their outward appearance seems rather appealing because they come in a variety of styles, textures, and colors. But they are ultimately the biggest deception that exists in the fashion industry today. What are they? They are high heels—a woman’s worst enemy (whether she knows it or not). High heel shoes are the downfall of modern society. Fashion myths have led women to believe that they are more beautiful or sophisticated for wearing heels, but in reality, heels succeed in posing short as well as long term hardships. Women should fight the high heel industry by refusing to use or purchase them in order to save the world from unnecessary physical and psychological suffering.
   For the sake of fairness, it must be noted that there is a positive side to high heels. First, heels are excellent for aerating(使通气) lawns. Anyone who has ever worn heels on grass knows what I am talking about. A simple trip around the yard in a pair of those babies eliminates all need to call for a lawn care specialist, and provides the perfect-sized holes to give any lawn oxygen without all those messy chunks of dirt lying around. Second, heels are quite functional for defense against oncoming enemies, who can easily be scared away by threatening them with a pair of these sharp, deadly fashion accessories.
   Regardless of such practical uses for heels, the fact remains that wearing high heels is harmful to one’s physical health. Talk to any podiatrist(足病医生), and you will hear that the majority of their business comes from high-heel-wearing women. High heels are known to cause problems such as deformed feet and torn toenails. The risk of severe back problems and twisted or broken ankles is three times higher for a high heel wearer than for a flat shoe wearer. Wearing heels also creates the threat of getting a heel caught in a sidewalk crack or a sewer-grate（阴沟栅）and being thrown to the ground—possibly breaking a nose, back, or neck. And of course, after wearing heels for a day, any woman knows she can look forward to a night of pain as she tries to comfort her swollen, aching feet.

26.    What makes women blind to the deceptive nature of high heels?
A) The multi-functional use of high heels.    C) The rich variety of high heel styles.
B) Their attempt to show off their status.    D) Their wish to improve their appearance.

27.    The author’s presentation of the positive side of high heels is meant        .
   A) to be ironic                C) to be fair to the fashion industry
   B) to poke fun at women            D) to make his point convincing
28.    The author’s presentation of the expression “those babies’ (Line 3, Para. 2) to refer to high heels    .
   A) to show their fragile characteristics    C) to show women’s affection for them
   B) to indicate their feminine features        D) to emphasize their small size

29.    The author’s chief argument against high heels is that       .
A)    they pose a threat to lawns        
B)    they are injurious to women’s health
C) they don’t necessarily make women beautiful
D) they are ineffective as a weapon of defense

30.    It can be inferred from the passage that women should         .
A)    see through the very hature of fashion myths    
B)    boycott the products of the fashion industry
C) go to a podiatrist regularly for advice
D) avoid following fashion too closely

Passage Three
Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage.
   It is hardly necessary for me to cite all the evidence of the depressing state of literacy. These figures from the Department of Education are sufficient: 27 million Americans cannot read at all, and a further 35 million read at a level that is less than sufficient to survive in our society.
   But my own worry today is less that of the overwhelming problem of elemental literacy than it is of the slightly more luxurious problem of the decline in the skill even of the middle-class reader, of his unwillingness to afford those spaces of silence, those luxuries of domesticity and time and concentration, that surround the image of the classic act of reading. It has been suggested that almost 80 percent of America’s literate, educated teenagers can no longer read without an accompanying noise(music) in the background or a television screen flickering（闪烁）at the corner of their field of perception. We know very little about the brain and how it deals with simultaneous conflicting input, but every common-sense intuition suggests we should be profoundly alarmed. This violation of concentration, silence, solitude(独处的状态)goes to the very heart of our notion of literacy, this new form of part-reading, of part-perception against background distraction, renders impossible certain essential acts of apprehension and concentration, let alone that most important tribute any human being can pay to a poem or a piece of prose he or she really loves, which is to learn it by heart. Not by brain, by heart; the expression is vital.
   Under these circumstances, the question of what future there is for the arts of reading is a real one. Ahead of us lie technical, psychic(心理的), and social transformations probably much more dramatic than those brought about by Gutenberg, the German inventor in printing. The Gutenberg revolution, as we now know it, took a long time; its effects are still being debated. The information revolution will touch every facet of composition, publication, distribution, and reading. No one in the book industry can say with any confidence what will happen to the book as we’ve known it.
   
31.The picture of the reading ability of the American people, drawn by the author, is         .
   A) rather bleak                    C) very impressive
   B) fairly bright                    D) quite encouraging

32.    The author’s biggest concern is    .
A)    elementary school children’s disinterest in reading classics
B)    the surprisingly low rate of literacy in the U.S.
C)    the musical setting American readers require of reading
D)    the reading ability and reading behavior of the middle class

33.    A major problem with most adolescents who can read is    .
A)    their fondness of music and TV programs
B)    their ignorance of various forms of art and literature
C)    their lack of attentiveness and basic understanding
D)    their inability to focus on conflicting input

34.    The author claims that the best way a reader can show admiration for a piece of poetry or prose is         .
A) to the able to appreciate it and memorize it        
B) to analyze its essential features
C) to think it over conscientiously
D) to make a fair appraisal of its artistic value

35. About the future of the arts of reading the author feels         .
A) upset            B) uncertain        C) alarmed        D) pessimistic

Passage Four
Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage.
For centuries, explorers have risked their lives venturing into the unknown for reasons that were to varying degrees economic and nationalistic. Columbus went west to look for better trade routes to the Orient and to promote the greater glory of Spain. Lewis and Clark journeyed into the American wilderness to find out what the U.S. had acquired when it purchased Louisiana, and the Appolo astronauts rocketed to the moon in a dramatic show of technological muscle during the cold war.
Although their missions blended commercial and political-military imperatives, the explorers involved all accomplished some significant science simply by going where no scientists had gone before.
Today Mars looms(隐约出现) as humanity’s next great terra incognita(未探明之地). And with doubtful prospects for a short-term financial return, with the cold war a rapidly fading memory and amid a growing emphasis on international cooperation in large space ventures, it is clear that imperatives other than profits or nationalism will have to compel human beings to leave their tracks on the planet’s reddish surface. Could it be that science, which has long played a minor role in exploration, is at last destined to take a leading role? The question naturally invites a couple of others: Are there experiments that only humans could do on Mars? Could those experiments provide insights profound enough to justify the expense of sending people across interplanetary space?
With Mars the scientific stakes are arguably higher than they have ever been. The issue of whether life ever existed on the planet, and whether it persists to this day, has been highlighted by mounting evidence that the Red Planet once had abundant stable, liquid water and by the continuing controversy over suggestions that bacterial fossils rode to Earth on a mctcorite(陨石) from Mars. A more conclusive answer about life on Mars, past or present, would give researchers invaluable data about the range of conditions under which a planet can generate the complex chemistry that leads to life. If it could be established that life arose independently on Mars and Earth, the finding would provide the first concrete clues in one of the deepest mysteries in all of science: the prevalence of life in the universe.

36.According to the passage, the chief purpose of explorers in going to unknown places in the past was       .
A) to display their country’s military might    C) to find new areas for colonization
B) to accomplish some significant science    D) to pursue commercial and state interests

37.At present, a probable inducement for countries to initiate large-scale space ventures is     .
A) international cooperation            C) scientific research
B) nationalistic reasons            D) long-term profits

38.    What is the main goal of sending human missions to Mars?
A)    To find out if life ever existed there.
B)    To see if humans could survive there.
C)    To prove the feasibility of large-scale space ventures.
D)    To show the leading role of science in space exploration.

39.    By saying “With Mars the scientific stakes are arguably higher than they have ever been” (Line 1, Para, 4), the author means that    .
A)    with Mars the risks involved are much greater than any previous space ventures
B)    in the case of Mars, the rewards of scientific exploration can be very high
C)    in the case of Mars, much more research funds are needed than ever before
D)    with Mars, scientists argue, the fundamental interests of science are at issue

40. The passage tells us that proof of life on Mars would       .
A)    make clear the complex chemistry in the development of life
B)    confirm the suggestion that bacterial fossils travelled to Earth on a meteorite
C)    reveal the kind of conditions under which life originates
D)    provide an explanation why life is common in the universe

Unit 20

Part II        Reading Comprehension
(35 minutes)
Directions:    There are 4 passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.



Passage One
Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage.
   Navigation computers, now sold by most car-makers, cost $2 000 and up. No surprise, then, that they are most often found in luxury cars, like Lexus, BMW and Audi. But it is a developing technology—meaning prices should eventually drop—and the market does seem to be growing.
   Even at current prices, a navigation computer is impressive. It can guide you from point to point in most major cities with precise turn-by-turn directions—spoken by a clear human-sounding voice, and written on a screen in front of the driver.
   The computer works with an antenna（天线）that takes signals from no fewer than three of the 24 global positioning system(GPS) satellites. By measuring the time required for a signal to travel between the satellites and the antenna, the car’s location can be pinned down within 100 meters.
   The satellite signals, along with inputs on speed from a wheel-speed sensor and direction from a meter, determine the car’s position even as it moves. This information is combined with a map database. Streets, landmarks and points of interest are included.
   Most systems are basically identical. The differences come in hardware—the way the computer accepts the driver’s request for directions and the way it presents the driving instructions. On most systems, a driver enters a desired address, motorway junction or point of interest via a touch screen or disc. But the Lexus screen goes a step further: you can point to any spot on the map screen and get directions to it.
   BMW’s system offers a set of cross hairs（瞄准器上的十字纹）that can be moved across the map (you have several choices of map scale) to pick a point you’d like to get to. Audi’s screen can be switched to TV reception.
   Even the voices that recite the directions can differ, with better systems like BMW’s and Lexus’s having a wider vocabulary. The instructions are available in French, German, Spanish, Dutch and Italian, as well as English. The driver can also choose parameters for determining the route: fastest, shortest or no freeways(说，高速公路), for example.

21.    We learn from the passage that navigation computers       .
   A) will greatly promote sales of automobiles     B) may help solve potential traffic problems
   C) are likely to be accepted by more drivers     D) will soon be viewed as a symbol of luxury
   
22.    With a navigation computer, a driver will easily find the best route to his destination       .
A) by inputting the exact address        B) by indicating the location of his car
C) by checking his computer database        D) by giving vocal orders to the computer

23.    Despite their varied designs, navigation computers used in cars       .
A) are more or less the same price        B) provide directions in much the same way
C) work on more or less the same principles    D) receive instructions from the same satellites

24.    The navigation computer functions       .
A)    By means of a direction finder and a speed detector
B)    Basically on satellite signals and a map database
C)    Mainly through the reception of turn-by-turn directions
D)    By using a screen to display satellite signals

25.    The navigation systems in cars like Lexus, BMW and Audi are mentioned to show       .
A)    the immaturity of the new technology
B)    the superiority of the global positioning system
C)    the cause of price fluctuations in car equipment
D)    the different ways of providing guidance to the driver




Passage Two
Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage.
   “The world’s environment is surprisingly healthy. Discuss.” If that were an examination topic, most students would tear it apart, offering a long list of complaints: from local smog（烟雾）to global climate change, from the felling（砍伐）of forests to the extinction of species. The list would largely be accurate, the concern legitimate. Yet the students who should be given the highest marks would actually be those who agreed with the statement. The surprise is how good things are, not how bad.
   After all, the world’s population has more than tripled during this century, and world output has risen hugely, so you would expect the earth itself to have been affected. Indeed, if people lived, consumed and produced things in the same way as they did in 1900 (or 1950, or indeed 1980), the world by now would be a pretty disgusting place: smelly, dirty, toxic and dangerous.
   But they don’t. The reasons why they don’t, and why the environment has not been ruined, have to do with prices, technological innovation, social change and government regulation in response to popular pressure. That is why today’s environmental problems in the poor countries ought, in principle, to be solvable.
   Raw materials have not run out, and show no sign of doing so. Logically, one day they must: the planet is a finite place. Yet it is also very big, and man is very ingenious. What has happened is that every time a material seems to be running short, the price has risen and, in response, people have looked for new sources of supply, tried to find ways to use less of the materials, or looked for a new substitute. For this reason prices for energy and for minerals have fallen in real terms during the century. The same is true for food. Prices fluctuate, in response to harvests, natural disasters and political instability; and when they rise, it takes some time before new sources of supply become available. But they always do, assisted by new farming and crop technology. The long-term trend has been downwards.
   It is where prices and markets do not operate properly that this benign（良性的）trend begins to stumble, and the genuine problems arise. Markets cannot always keep the environment healthy. If no one owns the resource concerned, no one has an interest in conserving it or fostering it: fish is the best example of this.

26.    According to the author, most students       .
A)    believe the world’s environment is in an undesirable condition
B)    agree that the environment of the world is not as bad as it is thought to be
C)    get high marks for their good knowledge of the world’s environment
D)    appear somewhat unconcerned about the state of the world’s environment

27.    The huge increase in world production and population       .
A) has made the world a worse place to live in    B) has had a positive influence on the environment
C) has not significantly affected the environment    D) has made the world a dangerous place to live in

28.    One of the reasons why the long-term trend of prices has been downwards is that       .
A)    technological innovation can promote social stability
B)    political instability will cause consumption to drop
C)    new farming and crop technology can lead to overproduction
D)    new sources are always becoming available

29.    Fish resources are diminishing because       .
A)    no new substitutes can be found in large quantities
B)    they are not owned by any particular entity
C)    improper methods of fishing have ruined the fishing grounds
D)    water pollution is extremely serious

30.    The primary solution to environmental problems is       .
A)    to allow market forces to operate properly    B) to curb consumption of natural resources
C) to limit the growth of the world population    D) to avoid fluctuations in prices

Passage Three
Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage.
   About the time that schools and others quite reasonably became interested in seeing to it that all children, whatever their background, were fairly treated, intelligence testing became unpopular.
   Some thought it was unfair to minority children. Through the past few decades such testing has gone out of fashion and many communities have indeed forbidden it.
   However, paradoxically, just recently a group of black parents filed a lawsuit(诉讼) in California claiming that the state’s ban on IQ testing discriminates against their children by denying them the opportunity to take the test. (They believed, correctly, that IQ tests are a valid method of evaluating children for special education classes.) The judge, therefore, reversed, at least partially, his original decision.
   And so the argument goes on and on. Does it benefit or harm children from minority groups to have their intelligence tested? We have always been on the side of permitting, even facilitating, such testing. If a child of any color or group is doing poorly in school it seems to us very important to know whether it is because he or she is of low intelligence, or whether some other factor is the cause.
   What school and family can do to improve poor performance is influenced by its cause. It is not discriminative to evaluate either a child’s physical condition or his intellectual level.
   Unfortunately, intellectual level seems to be a sensitive subject, and what the law allows us to do varies from time to time. The same fluctuation back and forth occurs in areas other than intelligence. Thirty years or so ago, for instance, white families were encouraged to adopt black children. It was considered discriminative not to do so.
   And then the style changed and this cross-racial adopting became generally unpopular, and social agencies felt that black children should go to black families only. It is hard to say what are the best procedures. But surely good will on the part of all of us is needed.
   As to intelligence, in our opinion, the more we know about any child’s intellectual level, the better for the child in question.

31.    Why did the intelligence test become unpopular in the past few decades?
A)    Its validity was challenged by many communities.
B)    It was considered discriminative against minority children.
C)    It met with strong opposition from the majority of black parents.
D)    It deprived the black children of their rights to a good education.

32.    The recent legal action taken by some black parents in California aimed to       .
A)    draw public attention to IQ testing            
B) put an end to special education
C) remove the state’s ban on intelligence tests      
D) have their children enter white schools

33.    The author believes that intelligence testing       .
A)    may ease racial confrontation in the United States
B)    can encourage black children to keep up with white children
C)    may seriously aggravate racial discrimination in the United States
D)    can help black parents make decisions about their children’s education

34.    The author’s opinion of child adoption seems to be that       .
A)    no rules whatsoever can be prescribed        
B) white families should adopt black children
   C) adoption should be based on IQ test results        
D) cross-racial adoption is to be advocated

35.    Child adoption is mentioned in the passage to show that       .
A)    good will may sometimes complicate racial problems
B)    social surroundings are vital to the healthy growth of children
C)    intelligence testing also applies to non-academic areas
D)    American opinion can shift when it comes to sensitive issues

Passage Four
Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage.
   Not too many decades ago it seemed “obvious” both to the general public and to sociologists that modern society has changed people’s natural relations, loosened their responsibilities to kin（亲戚） and neighbors, and substituted in their place superficial relationships with passing acquaintances. However, in recent years a growing body of research has revealed that the “obvious” is not true. It seems that if you are a city resident, you typically know a smaller proportion of your neighbors than you do if you are a resident of a smaller community. But, for the most part, this fact has few significant consequences. It does not necessarily follow that if you know few of your neighbors you will know no one else.
   Even in very large cities, people maintain close social ties within small, private social worlds. Indeed, the number and quality of meaningful relationships do not differ between more and less urban people. Small-town residents are more involved with kin than are big-city residents. Yet city dwellers compensate by developing friendships with people who share similar interests and activities. Urbanism may produce a different style of life, but the quality of life does not differ between town and city. Nor are residents of large communities any likelier to display psychological symptoms of stress or alienation, a feeling of not belonging, than are residents of smaller communities. However, city dwellers do worry more about crime, and this leads them to a distrust of strangers.
   These findings do not imply that urbanism makes little or no difference. If neighbors are strangers to one another, they are less likely to sweep the sidewalk of an elderly couple living next door or keep an eye out for young trouble makers. Moreover, as Wirth suggested, there may be a link between a community’s population size and its social heterogeneity(多样性). For instance, sociologists have found much evidence that the size of a community is associated with bad behavior including gambling, drugs, etc. Large-city urbanites are also more likely than their small-town counterparts to have a cosmopolitan(见多识广者的) outlook, to display less responsibility to traditional kinship roles, to vote for leftist political candidates, and to be tolerant of nontraditional religious groups, unpopular political groups, and so-called undesirables. Everything considered, heterogeneity and unusual behavior seem to be outcomes of large population size.

36.    Which of the following statements best describes the organization of the first paragraph?
A)    Two contrasting views are presented.
B)    An argument is examined and possible solutions given.
C)    Research results concerning the quality of urban life are presented in order of time.
D)    A detailed description of the difference between urban and small-town life is given.

37.    According to the passage, it was once a common belief that urban residents       .
A)    did not have the same interests as their neighbors
B)    could not develop long-standing relationships
C)    tended to be associated with bad behavior
D)    usually had more friends

38.    One of the consequence of urban life is that impersonal relationships among neighbors       .
A)    disrupt people’s natural relations
B)    make them worry about crime
C)    cause them not to show concern for one another
D)    cause them to be suspicious of each other

39.    It can be inferred from the passage that the bigger a community is,       .
A)    the better its quality of life
B)    the more similar its interests
C)    the more tolerant and open-minded it is
D)    the likelier it is to display psychological symptoms of stress

40.    What is the passage mainly about?
A)    Similarities in the interpersonal relationships between urbanites and small-town dwellers.
B)    Advantages of living in big cities as compared with living in small towns.
C)    The positive role that urbanism plays in modern life.
D)    The strong feeling of alienation of city inhabitants.

Unit 21

Part II        Reading Comprehension
(35 minutes)
Directions:    There are 4 passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.

Passage One
Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage.

   When global warming finally came, it stuck with a vengeance(异乎寻常地). In some regions, temperatures rose several degrees in less than a century. Sea levels shot up nearly 400 feet, flooding coastal settlements and forcing people to migrate inland. Deserts spread throughout the world as vegetation shifted drastically in North America, Europe and Asia. After driving many of the animals around them to near extinction, people were forced to abandon their old way of life for a radically new survival strategy that resulted in widespread starvation and disease. The adaptation was farming: the global-warming crisis that gave rise to it happened more than 10,000 years ago.
   As environmentalists convene in Rio de Janeiro this week to ponder the global climate of the future, earth scientists are in the midst of a revolution in understanding how climate has changed in the past—and how those changes have transformed human existence. Researchers have begun to piece together an illuminating picture of the powerful geological and astronomical forces that have combined to change the planet’s environment from hot to cold, wet to dry and back again over a time period stretching back hundreds of millions of year.
   Most important, scientists are beginning to realize that the climatic changes have had a major impact on the evolution of the human species. New research now suggests that climate shifts have played a key role in nearly every significant turning point in human evolution: from the dawn of primates(灵长目动物)some 65 million years ago to human ancestors rising up to walk on two legs, from the huge expansion of the human brain to the rise of agriculture. Indeed, the human history has not been merely touched by global climate change, some scientists argue, it has in some instances been driven by it.
   The new research has profound implications for the environmental summit in Rio. Among other things, the findings demonstrate that dramatic climate change is nothing new for planet Earth. The benign(宜人的)global environment that has existed over the past 10,000 years—during which agriculture, writing, cities and most other features of civilization appeared—is a mere bright spot in a much larger pattern of widely varying climate over the ages. In fact, the pattern or climate change in the past reveals that Earth’s climate will almost certainly go through dramatic changes in the future—even without the influence of human activity.

21.    Farming emerged as a survival strategy because man had been obliged       .
   A) to give up his former way of life        
   B) to leave the coastal areas
   C) to follow the ever-shifting vegetation    
   D) to abandon his original settlement
   
24.    Earth scientists have come to understand that climate     .
A)    is going through a fundamental change      
B)has been getting warmer for 10,000 years
C) will eventually change from hot to cold      
D) has gone through periodical change

23. Scientists believe that human evolution     .
A)    has seldom been accompanied by climatic changes  
B)    has exerted little influence on climatic changes
C)    has largely been effected by climatic changes
D)    has had a major impact on climatic changes

24. Evidence of past climatic changes indicates that     .
A)    human activities have accelerated changes of Earth’s environment
B)    Earth’s environment will remain mild despite human interference
C)    Earth’s climate is bound to change significantly in the future
D)    Earth’s climate is unlikely to undergo substantial changes in the future

25. The message the author wishes to convey in the passage is that     .
A)    human civilization remains glorious though it is affected by climatic changes
B)    mankind is virtually helpless in the face of the dramatic changes of climate
C)    man has to limit his activities to slow down the global warming process
D)    human civilization will continue to develop in spite of the changes of nature

Passage Two
Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage.
    No woman can be too rich or too thin. This saying often attributed to the late Duchess（公爵夫人）
Of Windsor embodies much of the odd spirit of our times. Being thin is deemed as such a virtue.
  The problem with such a view is that some people actually attempt to live by it. I myself have
Fantasies of slipping into narrow designer clothes. Consequently, I have been on a diet for the
better—or worse—part of my life. Being rich wouldn’t be bad either, but that won’t happen unless
an unknown relative dies suddenly in some distant land, leaving me millions of dollars.
  Where did we go off the track? When did eating butter become a sin, and a little bit of extra flesh unappealing, if not repellent? All religions have certain days when people refrain from eating, and excessive eating is one of Christianity’s seven deadly sins. However, until quite recently, most people had a problem getting enough to eat. In some religious groups, wealth was a symbol of probable salvation and high morals, and fatness a sign of wealth and well-being.
  Today the opposite is true. We have shifted to thinness as our new mark of virtue. The result is
that being fat－or even only somewhat overweight－is bad because it implies a lack of moral
strength.
      Our obsession(迷恋) with thinness is also fueled by health concerns. It is true that in this country we have more overweight people than ever before, and that, in many cases, being overweight correlates with an increased risk of heart and blood vessel disease. These diseases, however, may have as much to do with our way of life and our high-fat diets as with excess weight. And the associated risk of cancer in the digestive system may be more of a dietary problem—too much fat and a lack of fiber—than a weight problem.
The real concern, then, is not that we weigh too much, but that we neither exercise enough nor eat well. Exercise is necessary for strong bones and both heart and lung health. A balanced diet without a lot of fat can also help the body avoid many diseases. We should surely stop paying so much attention to weight. Simply being thin is not enough. It is actually hazardous if those who get(or already are)thin think they are automatically healthy and thus free from paying attention to their overall life-style. Thinness can be pure vainglory(虚荣)。

26．In the eyes of the author, an odd phenomenon nowadays is that     .
A) the Duchess of Windsor is regarded as a woman of virtue
B) looking slim is a symbol of having a large fortune
C) being thin is viewed as a much desired quality
D) religious people are not necessarily virtuous

27. Swept by the prevailing trend, the author     .
A) had to go on a diet for the greater part of her life  
B) could still prevent herself from going off the track
C) had to seek help from rich distant relatives      
D) had to wear highly fashionable clothes

28.In human history, people’s views on body weight     .
   A)were closely related to their religious beliefs    
   B)changed from time to time
C)varied between the poor and the rich        
D)led to different moral standards

29.The author criticizes women’s obsession with thinness     .
   A)from an economic and educational perspective    
   B)from sociological and medical points of view
C)from a historical and religious standpoint      
D)in the light of moral principles

30.What’s the author’s advice to women who are absorbed in the idea of thinness?
A)They should be more concerned with their overall lifestyle.
B)They should be more watchful for fatal diseases.
C)They should gain weight to look healthy.
D)They should rid themselves of fantasies about designer clothes.

Passage Three
Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage
War may be a natural expression of biological instincts and drives toward aggression in the human species. Natural impulses of anger, hostility, and territoriality(守卫地盘的天性)are expressed through acts of violence. These are all qualities that humans share with animals. Aggression is a kind of innate(天生的)survival mechanism, an instinct for self-preservation, that allows animals to defend themselves from threats to their existence. But, on the other hand, human violence shows evidence of being a learned behavior. In the case of human aggression, violence cannot be simply reduced to an instinct. The many expressions of human violence are always conditioned by social conventions that give shape to aggressive behavior. In human societies violence has a social function: It is a strategy for creating or destroying forms of social order. Religious traditions have taken a leading role in directing the powers of violence. We will look at the ritual and ethical(道德上的)patterns within which human violence has been directed.
The violence within a society is controlled through institutions of law. The more developed a legal system becomes, the more society takes responsibility for the discovery , control, and punishment of violent acts. In most tribal societies the only means to deal with an act of violence is revenge. Each family group may have the responsibility for personally carrying out judgment and punishment upon the person who committed the offense. But in legal systems, the responsibility for revenge becomes depersonalized and diffused. The society assumes the responsibility for protecting individuals from violence. In cases where they cannot be protected, the society is responsible for imposing punishment. In a state controlled legal system, individuals are removed from the cycle of revenge motivated by acts of violence, and the state assumes responsibility for their protection.
The other side of a state legal apparatus is a state military apparatus. While the one protects the individual from violence ,the other sacrifices the individual to violence in the interests of the state. In war the state affirms its supreme power over the individuals within its own borders. War is not simply a trial by combat to settle disputes between states; it is the moment when the state makes its most powerful demands upon its people for their commitment, allegiance, and supreme sacrifice. Times of war test a community’s deepest religious and ethical commitments.

31.Human violence shows evidence of being a learned behavior in that     .
   A)it threatens the existing social systems        
   B) it is influenced by society
   C) it has roots in religious conflicts            
   D) it is directed against institutions of law

32.The function of legal systems, according to the passage is     .
   A)to control violence within a society          
   B) to protect the world from chaos
     C) to free society from the idea of revenge        
D) to give the government absolute power

33.What does the author mean by saying “…in legal systems, the responsibility for revenge becomes depersonalized and diffused” (Lines5-6, Para.2 )?
A) Legal systems greatly reduce the possibilities of physical violence.
B) Offenses against individuals are no longer judged on a personal basis.
C) Victims of violence find it more difficult to take revenge.
D) Punishment is not carried out directly by the individuals involved.

34.The word “allegiance” ( Line5, Para.3 )is closest in meaning to     .
A)loyalty              
    B) Objective
C) survival              
D) motive

35.What can we learn from the last paragraph?
   A) [屏蔽]s tend to abuse their supreme power in times of war.
   B) In times of war governments may extend their power across national borders.
   C) In times of war governments impose high religious and ethical standards on their people.
   D) [屏蔽]s may sacrifice individuals in the interests of the state in times of war

Passage Four
Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage.
Researchers who are unfamiliar with the cultural and ethnic groups they are studying must take extra precautions to shed any biases they bring with them from their own culture. For example, they must make sure they construct measures that are meaningful for each of the cultural or ethnic minority groups beings studied.
In conducting research on cultural and ethnic minority issues, investigators distinguish between the emic approach and the etic approach. In the emic approach, the goal is to describe behavior in one culture or ethnic group in terms that are meaningful and important to the people in that culture or ethnic group, without regard to other cultures or ethnic groups. In the etic approach, the goal is to describe behavior so that generalizations can be made across cultures. If researchers construct a questionnaire in an emic fashion, their concern is only that the questions are meaningful to the particular culture or ethnic group being studied. If, however, the researchers construct a questionnaire in an ecit fashion, they want to include questions that reflect concepts familiar to all cultures involved.
How might the emic and etic approaches be reflected in the study of family processes? In the emic approach , the researchers might choose to focus only on middle-class White families, without regard for whether the information obtained in the study can be generalized or is appropriate for ethnic minority groups. In a subsequent Study, the researchers may decide to adopt an etic approach by studying not only middle-class White families, but also lower-income White families, Black American families, Spanish American families, and Asian American families. In studying ethnic minority families, the researchers would likely discover that the extended family is more frequently a support system in ethnic minority families than in White American families. If so, the emic approach would reveal a different pattern of family interaction than would the etic approach, documenting that research with middle-class White families cannot always be generalized to all ethnic groups.

36.According to the first paragraph, researchers unfamiliar with the target cultures are inclined to     .
A) be overcautious in constructing meaningful measures
B) view them from their own cultural perspective
C) guard against interference from their own culture
D) accept readily what is alien to their own culture

37.What does the author say about the emic approach and the etic approach?
A) They have different research focuses in the study of ethnic issues.
B) The former is biased while the latter is objective
   C) The former concentrates on study of culture while the latter on family issues.
D) They are both heavily dependent on questionnaires in conducting surveys.

38.Compared with the etic approach, the emic approach is apparently more     .
   A)culturally interactive                
   B) culture-oriented
C) culturally biased                    
D) culture-specific

39.The etic approach is concerned with     .
A) the general characteristics of minority families
B) culture-related concepts of individual ethnic groups
C) features shared by various cultures or ethnic groups
D) the economic conditions of different types of families

40.Which of the following is true of the ethnic minority families in the U.S. according to the passage?
A) Their cultural patterns are usually more adaptable
B) Their cultural concepts are difficult to comprehend
C) They don’t interact with each other so much as White families
D)They have closer family ties than White families



Unit 22

Part Ⅱ Reading Comprehension ?
  (35 minutes)?
Directions: There are 4 reading passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.? ??

 
Passage One? Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage.??
Bill Gates, the billionaire Microsoft chairman without a single earned university degree, is by his success raising new doubts about the worth of the business world's favorite academic title: the MBA (Master of Business Administration).?     The MBA, a 20th-century product, always has borne the mark of lowly commerce and greed (贪婪) on the tree-lined campuses ruled by purer disciplines such as philosophy and literature.?     But even with the recession apparently cutting into the hiring of business school graduates, about 79,000 people are expected to receive MBAs in 1993.This is nearly 16 times the number of business graduates in 1960,a testimony to the widespread assumption that the MBA is vital for young men and women who want to run companies some day.“If you are going into the corporate world it is still a disadvantage not to have one," said Donald Morrison, professor of marketing and management science.“But in the last five years or so, when someone says, ‘Should I attempt to get an MBA,' the answer a lot more is: It depends." ?     The success of Bill Gates and other non-MBAs, such as the late Sam Walton of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has helped inspire self-conscious debates on business school campuses over the worth of a business degree and whether management skills can be taught.?
The Harvard Business Review printed a lively, fictional exchange of letters to dramatize complaints about business degree holders.?       The article called MBA hires “extremely disappointing" and said “MBAs wants to move up too fast, they don't understand politics and people, and they aren't able to function as part of a team until their third year. But by then, they're out looking for other jobs."?     The problem, most participants in the debate acknowledge, is that the MBA has acquired an aura (光环) of future riches and power far beyond its actual importance and usefulness.?     Enrollment in business schools exploded in the 1970s and 1980s and created the assumption that no one who pursued a business career could do with out one. The growth was fueled by a backlash(反冲)against the anti-business values of the 1960s and by the women's movement.?     Business people who have hired or worked with MBAs say those with the degrees of ten know how to analyze systems but are not so skillful at motivating people.“They don't get a lot of grounding in the people side of the business, "said James Shaffer, vice-president and principal of the Towers Perrin management consulting firm.??
21. According to Paragraph 2,what is the general attitude towards business on campuses dominated by purer disciplines? ? A) Envious.?
B) Scornful.?
C) Realistic.?
D) Appreciative.  
22. It seems that the controversy over the values of MBA degrees has been fueled mainly by       .? A) the success of many non-MBAs ? B)the complaints from various employers ? C)the poor performance of MBAs at work ? D)the criticism from the scientists of purer disciplines  
23. What is the major weakness of MBA holders according to The Harvard Business Review? ? A) They are not good at dealing with people. ? B) They keep complaining about their jobs. ? C) They are usually self-centered. ? D) They are aggressive and greedy.  
24. From the passage we know that most MBAs       . ? A) can climb the corporate ladder fairly quickly ? B) cherish unrealistic expectations about their future ? C) quit their jobs once they are familiar with their workmates ? D) receive salaries that do not match their professional training  
25. What is the passage mainly about? ? A) A debate held recently on university campuses. ? B) Doubts about the worth of holding an MBA degree. ? C) Why there is an increased enrollment in MBA programs. ? D) The necessity of reforming MBA programs in business schools. ??
Passage Two ?
Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage.??
German Chancellor (首相)Otto Von Bismarck may be most famous for his military and diplomatic talent, but his legacy (遣产) includes many of today's social insurance programs During the middle of the 19th century, Germany, along with other European nations, experienced an unprecedented rash of workplace deaths and accidents as a result of growing industrialization. Motivated in part by Christian compassion(怜悯)for the helpless as well as a practical political impulse to undercut the support of the socialist labor movement, Chancellor Bismarck created the world's first workers' compensation law in 1884.?     By 1908,the United States was the only industrial nation in the world that lacked workers' compensation insurance. America's injured workers could sue for damages in a court of law, but they still faced a number of tough legal barriers. For example, employees had to prove that their injuries directly resulted from employer negligence and that they themselves were ignorant about potential hazards in the workplace. The first state workers' compensation law in this country was passed in 1911,and the program soon spread throughout the nation.?     After World War Ⅱbenefit payments to American workers did not keep up with the cost of living.?     In fact, real benefit levels were lower in the 1970s than they were in the 1940s,and in most states the maximum benefit was below the poverty level for a family of four. In 1970,President Richard Nixon set up a national commission to study the problems of workers' compensation. Two years later, the commission issued 19 key recommendations, including one that called for increasing compensation benefit levels to 100 percent of the states' average weekly wages.?   In fact, the average compensation benefit in America has climbed from 55 percent of the states' average weekly wages in 1972 to 97 percent today. But, as most studies show, every 10 percent increase in compensation benefits results in a 5 percent increase in the numbers of workers who file for claims. And with so much more money floating in the workers' compensation system, it's not surprising that doctors and lawyers have helped themselves to a large slice of the growing pie.??
26.   The world's first workers' compensation law was introduced by Bismarck     . ? A) for fear of losing the support of the socialist labor movement ?
B)out of religious and political considerations ? C)to speed up the pace of industrialization ? D)to make industrial production safer  
27. We learn from the passage that the process of industrialization in Europe       . ? A) met growing resistance from laborers working at machines ? B)resulted in the development of popular social insurance programs ? C)was accompanied by an increased number of workshop accidents ? D)required workers to be aware of the potential dangers at the workplace
28. One of the problems the American injured workers faced in getting compensation in the early 19th century was that     . ? A)they had to produce evidence that their employers were responsible for the accident ? B)America's average compensation benefit was much lower than the cost of living C)different state in the U.S. had totally different compensation programs ?
D)they had to have the courage to sue for damages in a court of law

29. After 1972 workers' compensation insurance in the U.S. became more favorable to workers so that       . ?
A)the poverty level for a family of four went up drastically ?
B)more money was allocated to their compensation system ? C)there were fewer legal barriers when they filed for claims ? D)the number of workers suing for damages increased  
30. The author ends the passage with the implication that         . ?
A) compensation benefits in America are soaring to new heights ? B)people from all walks of life can benefit from the compensation system ? C)the workers are not the only ones to benefit from the compensation system ? D)money floating in the compensation system is a huge drain on the U.S. economy
??
Passage Three?
Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage.??
  When school officials in Kalkaska, Michigan, closed classes last week, the media flocked to the story, portraying the town's 2,305 students as victims of stingy (吝啬的) taxpayers. There is some truth to that; the property-tax rate here is one-third lower than the state average. But shutting their schools also allowed Kalkaska's educators and the state's largest teachers' union, the Michigan Education Association, to make a political point. Their aim was to spur passage of legislation Michigan lawmakers are debating to increase the state's share of school funding.?   It was no coincidence that Kalkaska shut its schools two weeks after residents rejected a 28 percent property-tax increase. The school board argued that without the increase it lacked the $ 1.5 million needed to keep schools open.?   But the school system had not done all it could to keep the schools open. Officials declined to borrow against next year's state aid, they refused to trim extra curricular activities and they did not consider seeking a smaller—perhaps more acceptable—tax increase. In fact, closing early is costing Kalkaska a significant amount, including $600,000 in unemployment payments to teachers and staff and $250,000 in lost state aid. In February, the school system promised teachers and staff two months of retirement payments in case schools closed early, a deal that will cost the district $275,000 more.?   Other signs suggest school authorities were at least as eager to make a political statement as to keep schools open. The Michigan Education Association hired a public relations firm to stage a rally marking the school closings, which attracted 14 local and national television stations and networks. The president of the National Education Association, the MEA's parent organization, flew from Washington, D.C., for the event. And the union tutored school officials in the art of television interviews. School supervisor Doyle Disbrow acknowledges the district could have kept schools open by cutting programs but denies the moves were politically motivated.?   Michigan lawmakers have reacted angrily to the closings. The state Senate has already voted to put the system into receivership (破产管理) and reopen schools immediately; the Michigan House plans to consider the bill this week.??
31. We learn from the passage that schools in Kalkaska, Michigan, are funded       . ? A) mainly by the state government ? B) exclusively by the local government ? C) by the National Education Association ? D) by both the local and state governments  
32. One of the purposes for which school officials closed classes was   . ?  
A)to draw the attention of local taxpayers to political issues ? B)to avoid paying retirement benefits to teachers and staff ?
C)to pressure Michigan lawmakers into increasing state funds for local schools D)to make the financial difficulties of their teachers and staff known to the public  
33. The author seems to disapprove of       .? A)the shutting of schools in Kalkaska ? B)the involvement of the mass media ?
C)the Michigan lawmakers' endless debating ? D)delaying the passage of the school funding legislation  
34. We learn from the passage that school authorities in Kalkaska are more concerned about       .?
A) making a political issue of the closing of the schools? B) the attitude of the MEA's parent organization ? C) a raise in the property-tax rate in Michigan ? D) reopening the schools there immediately  
35. According to the passage, the closing of the schools developed into a crisis because of       .
A) the strong protest on the part of the students' parents ? B) the political motives on the part of the educators ? C) the weak response of the state officials ? D) the complexity of the problem ??
Passage Four?
Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage.??
Early in the age of affluence (富裕) that followed World War Ⅱ，an American retailing analyst named Victor Lebow proclaimed, “Our enormously productive economy...demands that we make consumption our way of life, that we convert the buying and use of goods into rituals, that we seek our spiritual satisfaction, our ego satisfaction, in consumption. We need things consumed, burned up, worn out, replaced and discarded at an ever increasing rate." ?     Americans have responded to Lebow's call, and much of the world has followed.?Consumption has become a central pillar of life in industrial lands and is even embedded in social values. Opinion surveys in the world's two largest economics-Japan and the United States-show consumerist definitions of success becoming ever more prevalent.?     Overconsumption by the world's fortunate is an environmental problem unmatched in severity by anything but perhaps population growth. Their surging exploitation of resources threatens to exhaust or unalterably spoil forests, soils, water, air and climate.?     Ironically, high consumption may be a mixed blessing in human terms, too. The time-honored values of integrity of character, good work, friendship, family and community have often been sacrificed in the rush to riches.?     Thus many in the industrial lands have a sense that their world of plenty is somehow hollow, that misled by a consumerist culture, they have been fruitlessly attempting to satisfy what are essentially social, psychological and spiritual needs with material things.?     Of course, the opposite of overconsumption, poverty, is no solution to either environmental or human problems. It is infinitely worse for people and bad for the natural world too. Dispossessed (被剥夺得一无所有的) peasants slash, and burn their way into the rain forests of Latin America, and hungry nomads (游牧民族) turn their herds out onto fragile African grassland, reducing it to desert.?     If environmental destruction results when people have either too little or too much, we are left to wonder how much is enough .What level of consumption can the earth support ?When dose having more cease to add noticeably to human satisfaction???
36. The emergence of the affluent society after World War II     .?
A) led to the reform of the retailing system ? B)resulted in the worship of consumerism ? C)gave rise to the dominance of the new egoism ? D)gave birth to a new generation of upper class consumers  

37. Apart from enormous productivity, another important impetus to high consumption is       ?
A) the people's desire for a rise in their living standards ? B)the concept that one's success is measured by how much they consume ? C)the imbalance that has existed between production and consumption ? D)the conversion of the sale of goods into rituals  
38.   Why does the author say high consumption is a mixed blessing? ? A) Because poverty still exists in an affluent society. ? B) Because overconsumption won't last long due to unrestricted population growth. ? C) Because traditional rituals are often neglected in the process of modernization. ? D) Because moral values are sacrificed in pursuit of material satisfaction.
39. According to the passage, consumerist culture     .? A)will not alleviate poverty in wealthy countries ? B)will not aggravate environmental problems ?
C)cannot thrive on a fragile economy ? D)cannot satisfy human spiritual needs  
40. It can be inferred from the passage that       .? A)human spiritual needs should match material affluence ? B)whether high consumption should be encouraged is still an issue ? C)how to keep consumption at a reasonable level remains a problem ? D)there is never an end to satisfying people's material needs  


   





第二部分 阅读理解模拟练习
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Unit 1  

  (35 minutes)
Directions: There are 4 reading passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.? ?
?
Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage: ?
?
The banking revolution in America is as much about attitudes and assumptions as about size and structure. For centuries, Americans have distrusted banks. In the 1830s, Andrew Jackson denounced and destroyed the Second Bank of the United States, which existed “to make the rich richer” at the expense of “farmers, mechanics and laborers.” In the 1930s, banks were blamed for helping cause the Depression. The wonder, then, is that the latest wave of bank mergers — the largest ever — has inspired little more than a bewildered and, perhaps, irritated shrug from the public.?
As banks grow bigger, they seem less fearsome. Why? The answer is that banks have shrunk in power even as they have expanded in size. Traditionally, banking has been a simple business. Deposits come through one door, loans go out through an other. Profits derive from the   “?spread?”   between interest rates on deposits and loans. If savers and borrowers cannot go elsewhere, banks are powerful. And if there are other choices, banks are less powerful. And so it is.?We inhabit an age of superabundant credit and its purveyors. A century ago, matters were different. Small depositors could choose from only one or several local banks; getting a loan meant winning the good graces of the neighborhood banker. Even big corporations depended on a few big banks or investment houses.?
John Reed or Hugh McColl — the heads of Citicorp and Nations Bank — are not household names. In 1900 J. P. Morgan was. As head of J. P. Morgan & Co., he controlled—through stock and positions on corporate boards — a third of U.S. railroads and 70 percent of the steel industry. A railroad executive once cheerfully confessed his dependence on Morgan's capital:“If Mr. Morgan were to order me tomorrow to China or Siberia ...I would go.”?
No bankers today inspires such awe or fear. Time, technology and government restrictions weakened bank power. In the 1920s, auto companies popularized car loans. National credit cards originated in 1950 with the Dinners Club card. In 1933, the Glass-Steagal Act required banks and their investment houses to split. After World War Ⅱ, pensions and the stock market competed for consumer savings. As aresult, banks command a shrinking share of the nation's wealth: 20 percent of assets of financial institutions in 1997, down from 50 percent in 1950.?

21. Traditionally, Americans' attitude towards banks is one of       .?
A) suspicion       B) trust       C) dependence       D) admiration

22. Why are John Reed and Hugh McColl not as well-known as J.P. Morgan??
A) John Reed and Hugh McColl are not as rich as J.P. Morgan was.?
B) Banks are no longer as powerful as they were in J.P. Morgan's time.?
C) John Reed and Hugh McColl are not as capable as J.P. Morgan was.?
D) The banks John Reed and Hugh McColl head are smaller than Morgan's.

23. The word “spread” in Paragraph 2 most probably means       .?
A) cover      B) extent      C) difference      D) degree

24. Which of the following statements is true??
A) The recent bank mergers have given much shock to the nation.?
B) People no longer distrust banks.?
C) No bank today can compare with J.P. Morgan's in size.?
D) It is easier to borrow money today than it was in the past.

25. What does the author chiefly talk about in the passage??
A) Banking and investment.            C) The evolution of the banks.?
B) The credit market.                D) The shrinking power of the banks.?
?
Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage: ?
?
Let us ask what were the preparation and training Abraham Lincoln had for oratory, whether political or forensic.?
Born in rude and abject poverty, he never had any education, except what he gave himself, till he was approaching manhood. Not even books wherewith to inform and train his mind were within his reach. No school, no university, no legal faculty had any part in training his powers. When he became a lawyer and a politician, the years most favorable to continuous study had already passed, and the opportunities he found for reading were very scanty. He knew but few authors in general literature, though he knew those few thoroughly. He taught himself a little mathematics, but he could read no language save his own, and can have had only the faintest acquaintance with European history or with any branch of philosophy. The want of regular education was not made up for by the persons among whom his lot was cast. Till he was a grown man, he never moved in any society from which he could learn those things with which the mind of an orator to be stored. Even after he had gained some legal practice, there was for many years no one for him to mix with except the petty practitioners of a petty town, men nearly all of whom knew little more than he did himself.?
Schools gave him nothing, and society gave him nothing. But he had a powerful intellect and a resolute will. Isolation fostered not only self-reliance but the habit of reflection, and indeed, of prolonged and intense reflection. He made all that he knew a part of himself. His convictions were his own——clear and coherent. He was not positive or opinionated and he did not deny that at certain moments he pondered and hesitated long before he decided on his course. But though he could keep a policy in suspense, waiting for events to guide him, he did not waver. He paused and reconsidered, but it was never his way to go back on a decision once more or to waste time in vain regrets that all he had expected had not been attained. He took advice readily and left many things to his ministers; but he did not lean on his advisers. Without vanity or ostentation, he was always independent, self-contained, prepared to take full responsibility for his acts.
?
?26. It is said in the second paragraph that Abraham Lincoln         .?
A) was illiterate                            C) was educated very late?
B) was never educated                  D) behaved rudely when he was young

27. We are also told that Abraham Lincoln         .?
A) never cared much for reading?
B) did much reading when he was young?
C) never had much chance to read?
D) became an enthusiastic reader when he was grown up

28. It is said in the third paragraph that Abraham Lincoln .?
A) was anti-social                  C) had few friends?
B) learned little from his friends              D) knew very few doctors

29. The habit of reflection helped Lincoln .?
A) to develop independence              C) to attain clear convictions?
B) to become more opinionated              D) to become a hesitant person

30. We may say, taking the passage as a whole, that Lincoln was       .?
A) a failure because of his ignorance?
B) a man who triumphed over his disadvantages?
C) an exceptionally successful and well-educated person?
D) an illiterate man, but with some natural talents?
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Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage: ?
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When the young man who would revolutionize American industry turned down a chance to attend Harvard in 1874 for an apprenticeship in a Philadelphia machine shop, it was hardly because he foresaw the transformation of the world into what it is today-marked by a “fierce, unholy obsession with time, order, productivity, and efficiency,” as Robert Kanigel describes it in his biography, The One Best Way: Frederick Winslow Taylor and the Enigma of Efficiency.??
The truth was, Taylor's eyes were bad. And yet, 30 years before the first assembly line, armed with a surplus of work, a stopwatch, and a utopian thirst, he systemized scientific management, crusading it nearly singlehandedly through industry after industry. Its anthem was the scrape of the lathe, its banner the instruction card. A century has passed, and with it the promise of a radiant, mechanical heaven in which the interests of management and labor are forever joined. Most of us, though, have it pretty damn good because of Taylor.?
At more than 600 pages, Kanigel's biography is an exhausting study of its subject's influence and psychology. Taylor comes across in various roles: fanatical bully; member of the first winning US Open doubles tennis duo; inventor of a process to manufacture high-speed steel that revolutionized industrial output. At times, the man seems little more than a slave to the development of his own system.“Studying the growth of grass plots,”he lamented toward the end of his life, dogged by labor-sympathetic hearings on Capitol Hill, “is a great time consumer.” So was the book. Occasionally, I was tempted to implement my own version of time management. And yet I took its length as a kind of charming inefficiency in the face of the spiritual emptiness that seeps through today's egalitarian consumerism.?
But what would life be without this system? “Industrialized countries today enjoy material abundance so great we no longer see it,” Kanigel states. “Many living today have never known life without radios, TVs, home freezers, power mowers, and computers.”?
“In the past the man was first. In the future the system will be first,” Taylor was infamous for having said. It must have been a nice thought at the turn of the century, but what about today, when our collective appetites threaten to mar the planet??
?
31. The young man in the first sentence refers to         .?
A) a Harvard professor                            C) Frederick Winslow Taylor?
B) Robert Kanigel                  D) the author of this passage

32. The young man chose not to go to Harvard because         .?
A) he wanted to have the apprenticeship in a Philadelphia machine shop?
B) he foresaw he had a great role to play in the transformation of the world?
C) he could not afford to?
D) he had poor eyesight

33. Which of the following statements is true??
A) Taylor did much more to modern material abundance than the assembly line.?
B)   Taylor's vision of a mechanical heaven for both management and labor did not come true. ?
C) Workers' conditions worsened as Taylor revolutionized industrial production. D) Workers throughout the world hated Taylor.

34.   The author of this passage thinks that Robet Kanigel's biography of Taylor is         . ?
A) too lengthy                      C) vivid and truthful?
B) not objective enough                  D) a pleasure to read

35. What is the implication of the last paragraph??
A) We have much to thank for Taylor.?
B) Taylor neglected the environment in his search for efficiency.?
C) Taylor's system seems to have an adverse effect on our globe.?
D) Efficiency is no longer important today.?

Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage: ?

University Physics is intended for students of science and engineering. Primary emphasis is on physical principles and problem-solving; historical background and specialized practical applications have been given a place of secondary importance. Many worked-out examples and an extensive collection of problems are included with each chapter.?
In this new edition, the basic philosophy and outline and the balance between depth of treatment and breadth of subject-matter coverage are unchanged from previous editions. We have tried to preserve those features that users of previous editions have found desirable, while incorporating a number of changes that should enhance the book's usefulness.?
The textbook is adaptable to a wide variety of course outlines. The entire textbook can be used for an intensive course two or three semesters in length. For a less intensive course, many instructors will want to omit certain chapters or sections to tailor the book to their individual needs. The arrangement of this edition facilitates this kind of flexibility.?
Conversely, however, many topics that were regarded a few years ago as of peripheral (外围的;次要的) importance and were omitted from introductory courses have now come to the fore again in the life sciences, earth and space sciences, and environmental problems. An instructor who wishes to stress these kinds of application will find this textbook a useful source for discussion of the appropriate principles.?
In any case, it should be emphasized that instructors should not feel constrained (受约束的) to work straight through the book from cover to cover. Many chapters are, of course, inherently sequential in nature, but within this general limitation instructors should be encouraged to select among the contents those chapters that fit their needs, omitting material that is not relevant for the objectives of a particular course.?

36. This textbook lays stress on     .?
A) the exploration of physical principles?
B) the principles of physics and their application ?
C) the development of physics?
D)the application of physics in different fields

37. Compared with the old one, this new edition       .?
A) has been made more applicable?
B) is easier to learn?
C) covers a wider range of subject matter?
D) has improved the balance between theory and practice

38. One of the features of this textbook is that       .?
A) some contents are dealt with in terms of philosophy?
B) it has an outline for each chapter?
C) it introduces the physical principles in great depth?
D) it can be used for different course arrangements

39. The words “Conversely, however” (para. 4, line 1) indicate that       .
A)   many topics can be emphasized though they were not covered in the old edition?
B) many topics can be emphasized though they were usually omitted by instructors C) many topics have been added to the new edition as they were not covered in the old one?
D) many topics have been added to the new edition though they can be omitted by the instructors  

40. To meet the needs of a particular course, the teacher of this book can omit some of the contents provided that       . ?
A) his selection is based on the request of his students?
B) he does not omit any chapter completely?
C) his students are particularly intelligent?
D) he keeps an eye on the internal relations between the chapters?


Unit 3

  (35 minutes)
Directions:   There are 4 reading passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.? ?
?
Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage: ?
?
The health-care economy is filled with unusual and even unique economic relationships. One of the least understood involves the peculiar roles of producer or “provider” and purchaser or “consumer” in the typical doctor-patient relationship.     In most sectors of the economy, it is the seller who attempts to attract a potential buyer with various inducements of price, quality, and utility, and it is the buyer who makes the decision. Such condition, however, does not prevail in most of the health-care industry.?
In the health-care industry, the doctor-patient relationship is the mirror image of the ordinary relationship between producer and consumer. Once an individual has choice — it is the physician who usually makes all significant purchasing decisions: whether the patient should return “next Wednesday,” whether X-rays are needed, whether drugs should be prescribed, etc. It is a rare and sophisticated patient who will challenge such professional decisions or raise in advance questions about price, especially when the disease is regarded as serious.?
This is particularly significant in relation to hospital care. The physician must certify the need for hospitalization, determine what procedures will be performed, and announce when the patient may be discharged. The patient may be consulted about some of these decisions, but in the main it is the doctor's judgments that are final. Little wonder when that in the eye of the hospital it is the physician who is the real “consumer.” As a consequence, the medical staff represents the “power center” in hospital policy and decision-making, not the administration.?
Although usually there are in this situation four identifiable participants — the physician, the hospital, the patient, and the payer (generally an insurance carrier or government) — the physician makes the essential for all of them. The hospital becomes an extension of the physician; the payer generally meets mosts of the bills generated by the physician/hospital; and for the most part the patient plays a passive role. We estimate that about 75-80 percent of health-care expenditures are determined by physicians, not patients. For this reason, economy directed at patients or the general are relatively ineffective.?

21. The author's primary purpose is to       .?
A) criticize doctors for exercising too much control over patients?
B) analyze some important economic factors in health-care?
C) urge hospitals to reclaim their decision-making authority?
D) inform potential patients of their health-care rights

22.   It can be inferred that doctors are able to determine hospital policies because       . ?
A) it is doctors who generate income for the hospital?
B) most of a patient's bills are paid by his health insurance?
C) a doctor is ultimately responsible for a patient's health?
D) some patients might refuse to accept their physician's advice

23. According to the author, when a doctor tells a patient to“return next Wednesday”, the doctor is in effect       . ?
A) instructing the patient to buy more medical services?
B) warning the patient that a hospital stay might be necessary?
C) advising the patient to seek a second opinion?
D) admitting that the initial visit was ineffective

24. The author is most probably leading up to       .?
A) a proposal to control medical costs?
B) a discussion of a new medical treatment?
C) an analysis of the cause of inflation in the United States?
D) a study of lawsuits against doctors for malpractice

25. With which of the following statements would the author be likely to agree? A) Few patients are reluctant to object to the course of the treatment prescribed by a doctor or to       question the cost of the services.?
B) The more serious the illness of a patient, the less likely it is that the patient will object to the course of treatment prescribed or to question the cost of services.?
C) The payer, whether insurance carrier or the government is less likely to acquiesce to demands for payment when the illness of the patient is regarded as serious.?
D) Both A and B ?

Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage:

For me, scientific knowledge is divided into mathematical sciences, natural sciences or sciences dealing with the natural world (physical and biological sciences), and sciences dealing with mankind (psychology, sociology, all the sciences of cultural achievements, every kind of historical knowledge). Apart from these sciences is philosophy, about which we will talk later. In the first place, all this is pure or theoretical knowledge, sought only for the purpose of understanding, in order to fulfill the need to understand what is intrinsic (固有的) and consubstantial (同体的) to man. What distinguishes man from animal is that he knows and needs to know. If man did not know that the world was of a certain kind, that he was in the world and that he himself was of a certain kind, he wouldn't be man. The technical aspects or applications of knowledge are equally necessary for man and are of the greatest importance, because they also contribute to defining him to pursue a life increasingly more truly human.?
But even while enjoying the results of technical progress, he must defend the primacy and autonomy of pure knowledge. Knowledge sought directly for its practical applications will have immediate and foreseeable success, but not the kind of important result whose revolutionary scope is in large part unforeseen, except by the imagination of the Utopians. Let me recall a well-known example. If the Greek mathematicians had not applied themselves to the investigation of conic sections, zealously and without the least suspicion that it might someday be useful, it would not have been possible centuries later to navigate far from shore. The first men to study the nature of electricity could not imagine that their experiments, carried on because of mere intellectual curiosity, would eventually lead to modern electrical technology, without which we can scarcely conceive of contemporary life. Pure knowledge is valuable for its own sake, because the human spirit cannot resign itself to ignorance. But, in addition, it is the foundation for practical results that would not have been reached if this knowledge had not been sought disinterestedly.?

26. The most important advances made by mankind come from       .?
A) technical applications              C) the natural sciences?
B) apparently useless information          D) philosophy

27.   What may we expect the author to discuss in the paragraph that follows this passage? ?
A) The value of technical research.          C) Philosophy.?
B) The value of pure research.              D) Unforeseen discoveries.

28. The author points out that the Greeks who studied conic sections .?
A) were mathematicians?
B) were interested in navigation?
C) were unaware of the value of their studies?
D) worked with electricity

29. What might be the best title for this passage??
A) A Little Learning Is a Dangerous Thing?
B) Man's Distinguishing Characteristics?
C) Learning for Its Own Sake?
D) The Difference between Science and Philosophy

30. The author does NOT include among the sciences the study of .?
A) astronomy                      C) anthropology?
B) physics                      D) literature?

Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage. ?

Women do not put money aside for a variety of reasons. They come and go in the work force, taking time off early to raise children and later, to tend to elderly relatives. When they do work, they earn less, regardless of age, industry or education. But societal patterns cannot be blamed for everything. Sometimes the problem is vanity, a refusal by an individual to think about white hair and wrinkles. Other times, saving money gets lost in the crush of family and career. Adele Morrissette, the 40-year-old head of media and entertainment investment banking at Cowen & Company, believes that “sometimes women who work hard don't pay enough attention to saving. We are too busy thinking about making money.”?
Whatever the cause, the effect can be devastating. As an American woman, you have an almost nine-out-of-ten chance of ending up alone. Either your marriage is one of the four in ten that will be broken up by divorce, or you will outlive your male partner by four to six years—even longer if you are younger than he (and you probably are). And don't deceive yourself. Widows aren't all blue-haired ladies playing mahjong (麻将) in Miami. They're also your fiftyish big sisters from college. Whether by death or divorce, you will likely someday be solely responsible for your financial security and well-being. If you aren't preparing for that, you are at high risk of outliving your assets. Three out of four older poor Americans are female.?
One woman gets to the core when she complains,“Our mothers didn't have to do this.”Daddy did. So girls often grew up not knowing the language, thinking that financial matters were for somebody else to worry about. The result shows up in surveys: most women don't know that common stocks historically outperform bonds, don't understand that when interest rates go up, the price of a bond goes down, agree somewhat or strongly with the statement“I'm not really sure how a mutual fund works.”?
?
31. This passage is mainly about         .?
A) the cause and effect of women's not saving money?
B) women's low position in the society?
C) why women earn less than men?
D) the reason why women do not save money

32. What is NOT true according to the passage??
A) 40% American families end in divorce.?
B) Among the older poor Americans, 75% are female.?
C) Every woman has to be responsible for her own living at old age.?
D) A woman generally survives her husband by 4～6 years.

33. According to Adele Morrissette, women         .?
A) should not work too hard?
B) pay more attention to making than saving money?
C) should think out better ways to make money?
D) are so busy that they are not able to make money

34. The main idea of paragraph 2 is         .?
A) if a woman does not save money, she will lose her property?
B)   a woman will have to live on her own when her husband dies or when she gets divorced ?
C) 90% American old women live by themselves?
D) a woman should save money for her possible future independence

35. In paragraph 3 line 2 “the language” most probably means         .?
A) human speech in general?
B) the speech used by the men living in that society?
C) the special terms concerning financial matters?
D) words used in everyday communication?
?
Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage: ?
?
The main idea of these business-school academics is appealing. In a world where companies must adapt to new technologies and sources of competition, it is much harder than it used to be to offer good employees job security and an opportunity to climb the corporate ladder. Yet it is also more necessary than ever for employees to invest in better skills and sparkle with bright ideas. How can firms get the most out of people if they can no longer offer them protection and promotion??
Many bosses would love to have an answer. Sumantra Ghoshal of the London Business School and Christopher Bartlett of the Harvard Business School think they have one:“employability”. If managers offer the right kinds of training and guidance, and change their attitude towards their underlings, they will be able to reassure their employees that they will always have the skills and experience to find a good job — even if it is with a different company.  
Unfortunately, they promise more than they deliver. Their thoughts on what an ideal organization should accomplish are hard to quarrel with: encourage people to be creative, make sure the gains from creativity are shared with the parts of the business that can make the most of them, keep the organization from getting stale and so forth. The real disappointment comes when they attempt to show how firms might actually create such an environment. At its nub is the notion that companies can attain these elusive goals by changing their implicit contract with individual workers, and treating them as a source of value rather than a cog in a machine.?
The authors offer a few inspiring examples of companies — they include Motorola, 3M and ABB — that have managed to go some way towards creating such organizations. But they offer little useful guidance on how to go about it, and leave the biggest questions unanswered. How do you continuously train people, without diverting them from their everyday job of making the business more profitable? How do you train people to be successful elsewhere while still encouraging them to make big commitments to your own firm? How do you get your newly liberated employees to spend their time on ideas that create value, and not simply on those they enjoy? Most of their answers are platitudinous; and when they are not they are unconvincing.?

36. We can infer from the passage that in the past a good employee       .?
A) had job security and opportunity of promotion?
B) had to compete with each other to keep his job?
C) had to undergo training all the time?
D) had no difficulty climbing the corporate ladder

37. By “employability”, Ghoshal and Bartlett mean .?
A) ability to learn new skills              C) ability to do different kinds of jobs? B) ability to find a good job              D) ability to keep one's job

38. What does the writer of this passage think of the ideas of Ghoshal and Bartlett??
A) Very instructive.                  C) Hard to implement.?
B) Very inspiring.                  D) Quite foolish.

39. In their book, Ghoshal and Bartlett discuss       .?
A) changes in business organizations?
B) contracts between employers and employees?
C) employment situations?
D) management ideas

40. This passage seems to be a(n)           .?
A) book review                  C) news report?
B) advertisement                  D) research paper

?
?
   








第三部分 简答题评述

根据“通知”要求，简答安排在“阅读理解”部分之后。如1997年1月的大学英语考试中“简答题”与“写作”被安排在试卷二部分。

一、简答题评分原则及标准

1.评分原则 ?
简答题要求考生在读懂文章的基础上，用正确简洁的语言回答问题。在评分时应同时考虑内容和语言。每题满分为2分，最低为0分。?
2.给分标准 ?
2分——答出全部内容，语言正确；?
1分——答出部分内容，语言正确；?
0分——没有答对问题。?
3.扣分标准 ?
(1) 语言有错误扣0.5分(不包括引起歧义的，可以辨识的拼写错误)，每题由于语言错误扣分不能超过0.5分；?
(2) 涉及无关内容者扣0.5分；其答案中有相互矛盾的内容，则内容矛盾的部分均不得分； (3) 整句原封不动照搬应扣分；照搬一句扣0.5分；照搬两句及两句以上者扣2分；?
(4) 考生所给答案超过10个单词扣0.5分。

二、答题中常见的语言错误

因简答题测试的是学生阅读理解和语言表达能力，从评分原则及评分标准不难发现，学生的错误存在于语言和内容两方面。在语言方面，错误之处主要表现为：?
(1) 主谓不一致；?
(2) 时态不对应；?
(3) 连词或起连接作用的副词或短语使用不当；?
(4) 介词使用不当；?
(5) 代词、冠词及其它的限定词使用不当；?
(6) 动名词、分词及动词不定式使用不当；?
(7) 虚拟语气使用不正确；?
(8) 否定形式使用不正确；?
(9) 搭配不当；? (10) 强调、倒装、省略等句型使用不当；?
(11) 逻辑关系混乱。?
?
三、简答题样题评析 ?
?
Short Answer Questions ?
?
  (15 minutes)?
Directions: In this part there is a short passage with five questions or incomplete statements. Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions or complete the statements in the fewest possible words.

Joe Templer should have known better: after all, he works for a large auto-insurance company.
It won't hurt to leave the key in the truck this once, he thought, as he filled his gas tank at a self-service gas station. But moments later, as he was paying the money, he saw the truck being driven away.?
In 1987, 1.6 million motor vehicles were stolen in the United States — one every 20 seconds. If current trends continue, experts predict annual vehicle thefts could exceed two million by the end of the decade.?
Vehicle theft is a common phenomenon, which has a direct impact on over four million victims a year. The cost is astonishing.?
Many police officials blame professional thieves for the high volume of thefts. It is a major money-maker for organized crime. Typically, stolen cars are taken to pieces and the parts sold to individuals. But as many as 200,00 cars are smuggled out of the country every year. Most go to Latin America, the Middle East and Europe.?
Only about 15 percent car thefts result in arrest, because few police departments routinely conduct in-depth auto-investigations. When thieves are arrested, judges will often sentence them to probation (缓刑), not immediately put them in prison because the prisons are overcrowded with violent criminals.?
One exception is a Michigan program that assigns 92 police officers to work full-time on the state's 65,000 car theft cases a year. Since 1986, when the effort began, the state's auto-theft rate has fallen from second in the nation to ninth.?
How can you protect your car? If you live in a high-theft area or drive an expensive model, consider a security system. It may cost anywhere from $25 to $1,000.Some systems engage automatically — simply removing the key disables the fuel pump and the starter. When cars are equipped with such systems, thefts may drop by one-third. In some states, you may be able to use a device that transmits radio signals, allowing stolen cars to be tracked by police.?

Questions:

(71) What is the passage mainly about??
(72) What does the author think Joe Templer should be blamed for??
(73) How serious did the author predict the annual vehicle theft could be in the United States in [屏蔽]? ?
(74) What are the two ways thieves sell the stolen cars??
(75) What type of security system can help the police track down a stolen car??
?
Key to Short Answer Questions ：?
?
(71) Car theft in the U.S.?
(72) His carelessness./Leaving his key in the truck. ?
(73) More than 2 million cars would be stolen.?
(74) Selling their parts at home or smuggling them abroad.?
(75)   A device that transmits radio signals.?
以下对每个问题列举六个回答以供分析(回答均来自考生原作，未做改动)。 ?
(71)   A. Vehicle theft.?
B. About the car stolen problem in United States.?
C. The passage says about the high vehicle theft in American.?
D. The passage mainly talk about Auto_theft in the U.S.?
E. The annual vehicle thefts is serious in the U.S.?
F. thefts./A social problem of the United States. ?
该题是对文章的主旨提问。本文先记述了一位汽车保险公司的职员，由于粗心大意将车钥匙留在车上，而几分钟后等他加完油，却发现他的汽车已被人开跑了。由文章可以看出，在美国汽车盗窃率极高，已成为普遍现象；随之，文章又交待了盗贼销赃的两种方式：卖零件或将整车走私出境，以及警方在反盗窃方面采取的措施。可观，本文的主旨是讲美国的汽车盗窃。答案A答出全部内容且语言正确，得2分。答案B答出全部内容但存在错用过去分词及漏用定冠词等语法错误，应改为 About the car stealing problem in the United States. 因此该答案扣0.5分，得1.5分。答案C答出全部内容，但主要存在动词词组使用不当，错将tells about 写成 says about; 词语搭配不当，“汽车盗窃率高”应译为 the high rate of vehicle theft; 此外还有拼写错误，错把America 拼写成 American(美国的)。该句应改为：The passage tells about the high rate of vehicle theft in America/the U.S.，依据每题语言错误最多不超 过0.5分的原则，该题答案扣0.5分，得1.5分。答案D答出全部内容，但错在主谓不一致，应改为：The passage mainly talks about Auto-theft in the U.S.，该答案因语言有误扣0.5分，得1.5分。答案E有两处错误，一处有多余信息annual, 扣0.5分，二是主谓不一致，扣0.5分，得1分。该句应改变：The vehicle thefts are serious in the U.S.答案F因内容笼统，得0分。?
(72)   A. Leaving his key in the truck.?
B. He should have taken his key with him.?
C. He leaves the key in the truck this once.?
D. He should have not left his key in the truck.?
E. He forgot his key in the car and he didn't buy a security system.?
F. Himself. ?

该题是对文章作者的观点“乔为什么应该受责备”的提问。本文第一段已作了交待：乔在一家汽车保险公司任职，本来会更清楚地了解这些(指在美国有许多汽车被盗)，但这次他认为时间很短，把钥匙放在车子上不会出问题的。可见正确答案应该是“他的粗心大意或由于他把钥匙掉在了车上。”答案A和B回答出全部内容且语言正确，得2分。答案C回答出全部内容，但时态有误，应改为：He left the key in the truck this once. 扣0.5分，得1.5分。答案D回答出全部内容，但否定词位置不对，应改为：He should not have left his key in the truck. 扣0.5分，得1.5分。答案E答出全部内容，但也涉及了无关内容“he didn't buy a security system”，扣0.5分；且语言在搭配上不当，“将他的钥匙留在车里”应译为“left his key in the car”而不是用“forgot”，扣0.5分，得1分。答案F过于笼统，未对所提问题作出正确回答，得0分。?
(73)   A. The vehicle thefts could exceed two million.?
B.   If current trends continue, experts predict annual vehicle thefts could exceed two million by the end of the decade. ?
C.   Vehicle thefts could exceeded two million to 3.6 million in the United States in [屏蔽]. ?
D. 3.6 million motor vehicle would be stolen.?
E. 2 million vehicle theft.?
F. The annual vehicle thefts could be more and more. ?

该题是针对作者对19[屏蔽]盗车状况的严重程度进行预测的提问。在本文第二段最后一句已做了明确说明，即在19[屏蔽]底会超过200万。答案A答出全部内容且语言正确，得2分。答案B答出全部内容且语言正确，但由于是照抄原文，扣0.5分，得1.5分。答案C答出了全部内容，但也有无关内容：3.6 million, 扣0.5分，此外还有语言错误，如在情态动词后误用动词ed形式，扣0.5分，该答案得1分。答案D未答对内容，3.6 million 是由于考生未理解原文所致，因此得0分。答案E看似正确，但未答出准确的内容，应为“超过200万”，因此也得0分。答案F过于笼统，得0分。?
(74)   A.   Disassemble them and sell the parts, or smuggle them abroad. B. One is taking the stolen cars to pieces and selling it to individuals. Another is smuggling out of the country. ?
C. They took them to pieces and sold them to individuals.?
D.   One is taking cars to pieces and solding the parts t individuals, the other is sending to foreign countries to sell. ?
E. Taking the cars to pieces and smuggling to other countries are two ways.?
F. They take cars to pieces or sell to individuals. ?

该题是对具体细节“汽车盗贼对赃车的两个处理办法”的提问。该题答案已在本文第四段第三句和第四句中给出，即一个方法是将偷来的车拆散，把拆下来的零部件卖给个人，另一个方法是将整车走私到国外。答案A答出全部内容且语言正确，得2分。答案B答出全部内容，但语言有误，如代词it指代错误，应改为them, another 应改为 the other, 此外在 smuggling 后漏用代词 them。因此要扣0.5分，另超过10个单词，扣0.5分，得1分。答案C只答出部分内容，而没有答出走私这一方法，只能得1分。答案D只答出部分内容，而sending to foreign countries to sell 并不等于 smuggling, 因此扣1分，在答对的部分中，还存在误用动词 solding 的错误，应改为 selling, 扣0.5分，因此该答案得0.5分。答案E也只答出“走私”这一方面内容，且存在语言错误，如漏用定冠词，应改为the two ways等，因此该答案得0.5分。答案F未答对问题，得0分。?
(75)   A. Radio transmitting devices.?
B. The security system can transmit radio signals.?
C. a device that transmit radio signals.?
D.   Automatical system which can simply remove the key disables the fuel pump and the starter or a device that transmit radio signals. ?
E. A transmits radio signals.?
F. A security system. ?

该题是对文章具体细节的提问，即“哪一种安全系统能帮助[屏蔽]追踪被盗车辆”。答案是一种能发出无线电信号的装置。而在本文的最后一段，还指出了其它一些安全系统，如拔出钥匙使燃料泵和发动机不能工作等。但这些方法都不能使[屏蔽]追踪被盗的车辆。答案A答出全部内容且语言正确，得2分。答案B答出全部内容，但存在因漏用从属连词 which/that 而使句子结构不完整的错误，扣0.5分，得1.5分。答案C答出全部内容，全存在主谓不一致的错误，应改为 A device that transmits radio signals, 扣0.5分，得1.5分。答案D答出全部内容，但也答了无关内容 Automatical system which can simply remove the key disables the fuel pump and the starter, 扣0.5分；但在答出的部分中，存在主谓不一致的错误，扣0.5分，应将 transmit 改为transmits,因此该答案得1分。答案E表现了考生对文章不理解，因此未能答对问题，得0分。答案F未答出具体内容，得0分。?
?
四、简答题全真题 ?
?
Short Answer Questions ?
?
  (15 minutes)?
Directions:   In this part there is a short passage with five questionsor incomplete statements. Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questionsor complete the statements in the fewest possible words (not exceeding 10 words).? ?

I once knew a dog named Newton who had a unique sense of humour. Whenever I tossed out a Frisbee(飞碟) for him to chase, he'd take off in hot pursuit but then seem to lose track of it. Moving back and forth only a yard or two from the toy, Newton would look all around, even up into the trees. He seemed genuinely puzzled. Finally, I'd give up and head into the field to help him out. But no sooner would I get within 10 ft. of him than he would run invariably straight over to the Frisbee, grab it and start running like mad, looking over his shoulder with what looked suspiciously like a grin.?
Just about every pet owner has a story like this and is eager to share it with anyone who will listen. On very short notice, TIME reporters came up with 25 stories about what each is convinced is the smartest pet in the world. Among them: the cat who closes the door behind him when he goes into the bathroom; the cat who uses a toilet instead of a litter box … and flushes it afterward; the dog who goes wild when he sees his owner putting on blue jeans instead of a dress because jeans mean it is time to play; and the cat who used to wait patiently at the bus stop every day for a little girl, then walk her the six blocks home, and so on.?
These behaviours are certainly clever, but what do they mean? Was Newton really deceiving? Can a cat really desire privacy in the toilet? In short, do household pets really have a mental and emotional life? Their owners think so, but until recently, animal behaviour experts would have gone mad on hearing such a question. The worst sin in their moral vocabulary was anthropomorphism(拟人化), projecting human traits onto animals. A dog or a cat might behave as if it were angry, lonely, sad, happy or confused, but that was only in the eye of the viewer.What was going on, they insisted, was that the dog or cat had been conditioned, through a perhaps unintentional series of punishments and rewards, to behave in a certain way. The behaviour was a mechanical result of the training.?
?
Questions: ?
?
1.   What did Newton seem puzzled about??
                                                                                        ?
2.   Why does the author say Newton had unique sense of humour??
                                                                                          ?
3.   What made it possible for the ?TIME? reporters to come up with so many interesting stories about pets??
                                                                                        ?

4.   What belief about pet behaviour was unacceptable to experts of animal behaviour??
                                                                                        ?
?
5.   What is the explanation of animal-behaviour experts for the “clever” behaviour of pets??
                                                                                        ?


??
   






























第四部分 简答题全真试题 ?
?
?
Unit 1   ?
?
Part Ⅳ Short Answer Questions ?
  (15 minutes)?
Directions: In this part there is a short passage with five questions or incomplete statements. Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions or complete the statements in the fewest possible words (not exceeding 10 words).? ?

Joe Templer should have known better: after all, he works for a large auto-insurance company. It won't hurt to leave the key in the truck this once, he thought, as he filled his gas tank at a selfservice gas station. But moments later, as he was paying the money, he saw the truck being driven away.?
In 1987, 1.6 million motor vehicles were stolen in the United States — one every 20 seconds. If current trends continue, experts predict annual vehicle thefts could exceed two million by the end of the decade.?
Vehicle theft is a common phenomenon, which has a direct impact on over four million victims a year. The cost is astonishing.?
Many police officials blame professional thieves for the high volume of thefts. It is a major money-maker for organized crime. Typically, stolen cars are taken to pieces and the parts sold to individuals. But as many as 200,000 cars are smuggled out of the country every year. Most go to Latin America, the Middle East and Europe.?
Only about 15 percent car thefts result in an arrest, because few police departments routinely conduct in-depth auto-investigations. When thieves are arrested, judges will often sentence them to probation(缓刑), not immediately put them in prison because the prisons are overcrowded with violent criminals.?
One exception is a Michigan program that assigns 92 police officers to work full-time on the state's 65,000 car theft cases a year. Since 1986, when the effort began, the state's auto-theft rate has fallen from second in the nation to ninth.?
How can you protect your car? If you live in a high-theft area or drive an expensive model, consider a security system. It may cost anywhere from $25 to $1,000. Some systems engage automatically — simply removing the key disables the fuel pump and the starter. When cars are equipped with such systems, thefts may drop by one-third. In some states, you may be able to use a device that transmits radio signals, allowing stolen cars to be tracked by police.?
?
Questions:   (注意：答题尽量简短，超过10个词要扣分。每条横线限写一个英语单词，标点符号不占格。) ?
?
71. What is the passage mainly about??
                                                                     
                                                                       
72. What does the author think Joe Templer should be blamed for??
                                                                     
                                                                       

73.   How serious did the author predict the annual vehicle theft could be in the United States in [屏蔽]?
                                                                     
                                                                       

74. What are the two ways theives sell the stolen cars??
                                                                     
                                                                       

75. What type of security system can help the police track down a stolen car??
                                                                     
                                                                       
 
Unit 2   ?
?
Part Ⅳ Short Answer Questions ?
  (15 minutes)?
Directions: In this part there is a short passage with five questions or incomplete statements. Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions or complete the statements in the fewest possible words (not exceeding 10 words).??

One summer my wife Chris and I were invited by friends to row down the Colorado River in a boat. Our expedition included many highly successful people — the kind who have staffs to take care of life's daily work. But in the wilder rapids, all of us naturally set aside any pretenses (矫饰) and put out backs into every stroke to keep the boat from tumbling over. At each night's encampment, we all hauled supplies and cleaned dishes. After only two days in the river, people accustomed to being spoiled and indulged had become a team, working together to cope with the unpredictable twists and turns of the river.?
I believe that in life — as well as on boat trips — teamwork will make all our journeys successful ones. The rhythms of teamwork have been the rhythms of my life. I played basketball alongside famous players, and the team I now coach, the New York Knicks, has recovered from years of adversity to become a major contender in the 1990s.?
I'm persuaded that teamwork is the key to making dreams come true. We all play on a number of teams in our lives—as part of a family, as a citizen, as a member of an agreement, written or unwritten. It contains the values and goals for every team member.?
For example, in the late 1970s a General Motors plant in Fremont, Calif, was the scene of constant warfare between labor and management. Distrust ran so high that the labor contract was hundreds of pages of tricky legal terms. GM spent millions trying to keep the facility up to date, but productivity and quality were continually poor. Absenteeism (旷工) was so out of control that the production line couldn't even start up on some mornings. Finally in the early 1980s, GM shut down the plant.?
GM became convinced that it had to create new production systems based on teamwork. In the mid-1980s it reopened the Fremont plant with Toyota, starting from scratch (从零开始) with a much simpler and shorter labor contract. It promised that executive salaries would be reduced and jobs performed by outside sellers would be given to employees before any layoffs were considered. Over a hundred job classifications were cut to just two. Instead of doing one boring job over and over, workers agreed to be part of small teams, spending equal time on various tasks.?
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Questions:   (注意:答题尽量简短，超过10个词要扣分。每条横线限写一个英语单词，标点符号不占格。) ?

S1.   What comment did the author make about the highly successful people travelling with him?
                                                                     
                                                                       
S2. Why was it easy for boats to tumble over in the Colorado??
                                                                     
                                                                       
S3. What happened to the New York Knicks in the 1980s??
                                                                     
                                                                       

S4. What caused the sharp conflict in the GM plant in the late 1970s??
                                                                     
                                                                       
S5. What spirit was encouraged in the reopened GM plant??
                                                                     
                                                                       
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Unit 3   ?
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Part Ⅳ Short Answer Questions ?
  (15 minutes)?
Directions:   In this part there is a short passage with five questions or incomplete statements. Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions or complete the statements in the fewest possible words (not exceeding 10 words).??

Most Americans spend far more of their leisure time with the mass media than in any other occupation. In addition, most of us hear, see, or read some of the media while engaged in other activities. Thus an extremely large number of our waking hours are spent with the mass media. Of all the media, television is clearly dominant, with newspapers a close second, at least as a source of news and other information. Our exposure to all media is important, however, because all of them contribute materials for the construction of that world in our heads. For most people, increased use of one medium does not decrease use of another. In fact, in certain cases, and especially for certain purposes, the more one uses one medium, the more likely one is to use others.?
There are various factors that can cause you to expose yourself to the media selectively, avoiding much of the material with which you disagree. Some of that selective exposure is probably due to the psychological pressure you feel to avoid the discomfort caused by confrontation with facts and ideas contrary to your beliefs, attitudes, or behavior. However, some selective exposure is not due to the pressure for consistency but to other factors, such as your age, education, and even the area in which you live and the people with whom you associate.?
Quite a different sort of factor that affects your media experiences is the social context of exposure: whether you are alone or with others when you are exposed to a medium; whether you are at home, at the office, in a theater, and so on.       These contexts are as much as a potential part of the message you will form as film images on the screen or words on the page. In addition, that social context affects — both directly and indirectly — the media and the media content to which you become exposed. New friends or colleagues get you interested in different things. Other members of the family often select media content that you would not have selected, and you become exposed to it.?
These various factors have so much influence on your media exposure that so little of that exposure is planned.?
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Questions:   (注意：答题尽量简短，超过10个词要扣分。每条横线限写一个英语单词，标点符号不占格。) ?
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S1. Exposure to all media is important and people sometimes tend to use more media if?
                                                                     
                                                                       

S2. Why are newspapers considered as an important medium according to the passage??
                                                                     
                                                                       

S3. For one reason or another, people's exposure to the media is often?
                                                                     
                                                                       

S4. Apart from personal preferences, what determines one's choice of the media and media content?
                                                                     
                                                                       
S5. The last sentence of the passage indicates that one's exposure to the media is?
                                                                     
                                                                       

Unit 4   ?
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Part Ⅳ Short Answer Questions ?
  (15 minutes)?
Directions: In this part there is a short passage with five questions or incomplete statements. Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions or complete the statements in the fewest possible words (not exceeding 10 words).??
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Many parents who welcome the idea of turning off the TV and spending more time with the family are still worried that without TV they would constantly be on call as entertainers for their children. They remember thinking up all sorts of things to do when they were kids. But their own kids seem different, less resourceful, somehow. When there's nothing to do, these parents observe regretfully, their kids seem unable to come up with any thing to do besides turning on the TV.?     One father, for example, says, “When I was a kid, we were always thinking up things to do, projects and games. We certainly never complained in an annoying way to our parents, ‘I have nothing to do!’” He compares this with his own children today:“They're simply lazy. If someone doesn't entertain them, they'll happily sit there watching TV all day.”
There is one word for this father's disappointment: unfair. It is as if he were disappointed in them for not reading Greek though they have never studied the language. He deplores(哀叹) his children's lack of inventiveness, as if the ability to play were something innate(天生的) that his children are missing. In fact, while the tendency to play is built into the human species, the actual ability to play — to imagine, to invent, to elaborate on reality in a playful way — and the ability to gain fulfillment from it, these are skills that have to be learned and developed.?
Such disappointment, however, is not only unjust, it is also destructive. Sensing their parents' disappointment, children come to believe that they are, indeed, lacking something, and that this makes them less worthy of admiration and respect. Giving children the opportunity to develop new resources, to enlarge their horizons and discover the pleasures of doing things on their own is, on the other hand, a way to help children develop a confident feeling about themselves as capable and interesting people.?
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Questions:   (注意：答题尽量简短，超过10个词要扣分。每条横线限写一个英语单词，标点符号不占格。) ?
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S1. According to many parents, without TV, their children would like them to
                                                                     
                                                                       

S2.   Many parents think that, instead of watching a lot of TV, their children should . ?
                                                                     
                                                                       

S3.   The father often blames his children for not being able to entertain themselves. This is unfair because they   . ?
                                                                     
                                                                       

S4.   When parents show constant disappointment in their children, the destructive effect is that the children will . ?
                                                                     
                                                                       

S5. Developing children's self-confidence helps bring them up to be .?

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