(高职)实用英语（三）：14

Reading Comprehension Directions: Choose the best answer to complete each of the questions or statements after each passage. Passage One We have found our way to the old. And some of us have discovered that they often save the young. A reporter moved her family onto a block filled with old people. At first her children were disappointed. But the reporter baked banana bread for the neighbors and had her children deliver it and visit. Soon the children had many new friends, with whom they shared food, stories and projects. “My children have never been less lonely,” the reporter said. The young, in turn, save the old. Once I was in a rest home when a visitor showed up with a baby. She was immediately surrounded. People who hadn’t gotten out of bed in a week suddenly were ringing for a wheelchair. Even those who had seemed comatose woke up to watch the child. Babies have an amazing power to comfort and heal. My life is richer too because of the time that I’ve spent with my elders. Over the past three years I’ve interviewed my five aunts, listened to family stories, looked at pictures and eaten home-cooked meals. As a result I better understand my own parents and our country’s history. I’ve also learned the art of aging. I’ve come away feeling more accepting, more grateful. And I have witnessed the incredible calculus of old age; as more is taken, there is more love for what remains. To learn from the old, we must love them-not just in abstract but in flesh-beside us in our homes, businesses, churches and schools. We must work together to build the kinds of communities that allow us to care for one another. This article deals withA) the relationship among the youngB) the relationship among the oldC) the generation gapD) closing the gap between the young and the old Why did the reporter had her children deliver the bread?A) Because the old people were hungry.B) Because she wanted her children to make friends with those old people.C) Because she hoped that her children could eat others’ food.D) Because she hoped to get to know those old people. What can babies do?A) They can save the old, to some extent.B) They can always care for themselves.C) They can very often be troublesome.D) They can comfort and heal their parents. By living with “my” elders, “I .”A) could better see them B) could better interview themC) could better understand them D) could better hear them The writer suggests that we love the old .A) not only in our mind but also in our actionB) not only in our homes but also in our schoolsC) not only in our businesses but also in our churchesD) not only in the block but also in the rest home Passage Two India has about a billion people and a dozen major languages of its own. One language, and only one, is understood---by an elite---across the country: that of the foreigners who ruled it for less than 200 years and left 52 years ago. Today, India. Tomorrow, unofficially, the world. That is well under way; at first, because the British not only built a global empire but settled America, and now because the world (and notably America) has acquired its first truly global---and interactive---medium, the Internet. It is estimated that some 350m people speak English as their first language. Maybe 250m~350m do or can use it as a second language; in ex-colonial countries, notably, or in English-majority ones, like 30m recent immigrants to the U.S. or Canada’s 6m francophone Quebeckers. And elsewhere? The guess is 100m-1 billion depending how you define “can”. Let us be bold: in all,20%~25% of earth’s 6 billion people can use English; not the English of England, let alone of Dr Johnson, but English. The growth of the cinema, and still more so of television, has spread the dominant language. Foreign movies or sitcoms may be dubbed into major languages, but for smaller audiences they are usually subtitled. Result: a Dutch or Danish or even Arab family has an audio-visual learning aid in its living room, and usually the language spoken on-screen is English. The birth of the computer and its American operating systems gave English a nudge ahead; that of the internet has given it a huge push. Any web-linked household today has a library of information available at the click of a mouse. And, unlike the books on its own shelves or in the public library, maybe four fifths is written in English. That proportion may lessen, as more non-English sites spring up. But English will surely dominate. 1. In Paragraph 1, “the foreigners” refers to . A) The British B) the American C) the Indian D) the Canadian 2. In the author’s opinion, only English can be regarded as . A) a foreign language B) a world language C) a true language D) a language 3.the number mentioned in paragraph 3 are . A) to show the large population of the world B) to show the map of the world C) to show the wide range of people speaking English D) to show the number of people using English as a second language 4. What good has the growing cinema and TV do for English? A) It has made more English plays. B) It has narrowed English. C) It has disappointed English learners. D) It has spread English. 5. Four-fifths of the information on the internet is written in . A) American B) English C) non-English D) various languages Passage three Many businesses will benefit from the growing number of elderly in the population. There will likely be increasing demand for golfing, cruises, drugs and health services of all kinds, eyeglasses, hearing aids, and telemetry bracelets for absent-minded elderly who wander off and need to be located. Many products will be redesigned to better fit with elderly needs: There will be more easy-grip doorknobs, phones with bigger buttons, larger=sized type in books and magazines, bigger traffic signs, and longer “yellow” lights. However, the extension of the life-span is raising a number of important issues. One growing issue is the rapid reduction in the retirement age. In 1890, about 68% of Americans over 65 continued to work. This dropped to 56% in 1920, then 41% in 1950. By 1970, only 25% of people over 65worked, and that number was cut to 12.2% in 1980. In 1993, only 10.9% of Americans over 65 were still on the job. Social Security, pensions, and personal savings have encouraged people to retire early. When the early retirement trend is combined with the trend toward greater longevity, the result is a growing challenge to government and private retirement programs. A likely result is that the trend toward early retirement will reverse, and more people over 65 will remain in the work force. Women in their 65s are now able to have babies thanks to advancing science. Older parents may be less able to are for children and are more likely than younger parents to die or become disabled. Elderly retired people are consuming and increasing share of government funds. Must working adults with young children support older people who are still capable of working but choose not to? Workers may express growing anger about taxes they must pay to support retirees. A proposal in Singapore would give a worker two votes against one for a retiree. 1. People will have to design many things again for . A) better qualities B) older people C) more quantities D)younger people 2. One of the problems resulted from growing elderly population is . A) extension of life span B) social security C) reduction in the retirement age D) private pensions 3. The author implies that . A) older parents can better care for their children B) children are likely to die or become disabled C) younger parents can better care for their children D) children can become homeless 4. The example in Singapore shows that . A) workers are welcome B) retired people can vote two C) workers can vote one D) retired people are welcome 5.This passage discusses . A) wonderful future in a younger society B) many businesses in a growing society C) growing anger in a developed society D) emerging issues in an aging society Passage four A new currency called the “euro” was launched in Europe. It will replace eleven currencies by the year 2002 so that eleven European countries will share a common euro currency. The euro will make it easier for these countries to trade with each other and for other countries to trade with them. The euro is the latest in a global economy of money which sees large trading of currency 24 hours a day. Every day trillions of dollars are moved around the world via banks’ computers. Even as nations sleep, the fibre optic cables fax and phone lines, and Internet cyberspace highways are busy with the trade in money. This new form of electronic money is taking the place of the cash that we know from everyday dealings. Money has been used for many centuries but not always in the form of coins and notes. Some cultures used shells, cloth and precious stones. Early Maori traded items of value such as food and greenstones. Historically, gold, silver, copper and brass became the commonest currency, used by the Chinese, Greeks, Romans, Arabs and Indians. Paper money was used in china as early a thousand years ago. Over time, the introduction of cheques, plastic credit card, and recently electronic banking, has meant that new standards for measuring the value of money have been sought. Enter the McDonald’s hamburger. McDonald’s products, guaranteed by the company’s manual and constant computerized measurements, have a strict fixed standard. Because the Big Mac hamburger formula is the same in every country, the comparative price of a McDonald’s Big Mac hamburger is a good measure of the comparative cost of ingredients, labor and company fees; thus a measure of each country’s different economic structure. Economists know that one way of measuring the value of money all around the world is to look at the cost of a single item sold in many different countries. In the Big Mac they have the perfect constant. 1. “Euro” is . A) a new name B) a new product C) a new credit card D) a new currency 2. “Euro” was introduced in Europe in order that . A) countries can trade more easily. B) money can be counted more quickly. C) countries can use electronic banking. D) countries can use Internet. 3. In history, who used gold and silver as currencies? A) The Greeks and the Maori. B) The Romans and the Americans. C) The Chinese and the Indians. D) The Arabs and the Japanese. 4.Nowadays, what would people like to use to buy things? A) Gold and cheque. B) Cheque and credit card. C) Copper and cash. D) Electronic banking and silver. 5.”The Big Mac hamburger” here is used as . A) a perfect constant B) a currency C) a value D) a best formula Passage five I love children and flowers. I once even sent cards to my grandparents for that fake Grandparents Day holiday. That’s not going to happen again. But no matter how much I want to be a normal, manly American, I can’t get myself to like dogs. I don’t want to hate dogs. But I just can’t imagine sharing my apartment with some dirty, dependent animal willing to trade unconditional love for canned food. How can people love something so much that they are willing to walk behind it and gather its feces with their own hands everyday? I haven’t met a woman for whom I’d do that. Dog owners are a mystery to me. I once went on a long series of nonproductive dates with one, and every time we were about to kiss, she would have to leave to go home and walk her dog. They sent their pets to dog salons and dog doctors, who give them dog medicine . June 25 is the first Take Your Dog to Work Day. June 26 is Why Does This Office Smell Bad Day. While the homeless go ignored, almost 28.5million Americans bought their dogs Christmas presents last year. People even knit their dogs things. Dog owners, please don’t buy that leash-on-a-reel rope that takes up 40 feet of sidewalk. Save yourself some money” let your dog run free and use a large stick to trip people with instead. And why do you get offended when I refer to your dog as “it”? Was I supposed to be checking out its ex the whole time? No, I wasn’t bitten by a dog as a kid or raised by cats. It’s just that dogs frighten me. Last week Mexico City, upon which dogs drop around 120 000 tons of face a year, appealed to owners to clean up after their dogs because it was causing major health problems. It is really a dog-eat-dog world. 1. “I” hate dogs because . A) I was bitten by a dog as a boy B) I hate dog owners C) I have no money to buy dogs D) Dogs are causing serious problems 2. The author implies that . A) Dog owners are normal B) Dog owners are manly C) Dog owners are crazy D) Dog owners are easy-going 3. “A long series of unproductive dates with one”, here, “one” refers to . A) a dog owner B) a dog C) a pet D) a doctor 4. In Paragraph Four, the author implies that . A) people hurt dogs B) dogs are on the way C) dogs should be referred to as “he” or “she” D) dogs should walk on the sidewalk 5. The passage is written . A) in a relaxing tone B) in a poetic tone C) in a warm tone D) in a satirical tone Passage Six In ancient Greece athletic festivals very important and had strong religious associations. The Olympian athletic festival, held every four years in honor of Zeus, eventually lost its local character, became first a national event, and then, after the rules against foreign competitors had been waived, international. No one knows exactly how far back the Olympic Games go, but some official records date from 776 B.C. The Games took place in August on the plain by Mount Olympus. Many thousands of spectators gathered from all parts of Greece, but no married woman was admitted even as a spectator. Slave, women and dishonored persons were not allowed to compete. The exact sequence of events is uncertain, but events included boys’ gymnastics, horse-racing, field events such as discus and javelin throwing, and the very important foot races. There was also boxing and wrestling and special tests of varied ability such as the pentathlon the winner of which excelled in running, jumping, discus and javelin throwing and wrestling. The evening of the third day was devoted to sacrificial offerings to the heroes of the day, and the fourth day, that of the full moon, was set aside as a holy day. On the sixth and last say, all the victors were crowned with holy garlands of wild olive from a sacred wood. So great was the honor that the winner of the foot race gave his name to the year of his victory. Although Olympic winners received no prize money, they were, in fact, richly rewarded by their state authorities. The public honor also made the strict discipline of the ten-month training period worth while. In spite of the lengthy training, however, runners were known to drop dead from strain at the winning post. How their results compared with modern standards, we unfortunately have no means of telling. 1. The first Olympic Games took place . A) in the eighth century A.D. B) certainly before 700 B.C. C) a thousand years ago D) in 1776 2. In the ancient Olympic Games, any competitor had to be . A) Greek B) make C) unmarried D) neither a slave nor a foreigner 3. During the Games, on the evening before the moon was full, . A) it was a holy day B) large sums of prize money were distributed to the heroes C) the heroes were honored with sacrificial offerings D) all the victors were crowned with garlands 4. Competitors had to train . A) for four years B) for ten months C) until they were exhausted D) for periods determined by the authorities 5. Modern athletes results cannot be compared with those of the ancient runners because . A) details such as times were not recorded in the past B) they are much better C) the ancient runners fell down dead D) the Greeks had no means of telling the time Passage Seven Animals perform many useful and entertaining jobs. Dogs are particularly valuable in guiding the blind, protecting property, finding lost people, and hunting criminals. Horses are used in guarding herds, carrying men in lands where there are no roads, and helping farmers work their land. Pigeons have long been used to carry messages. Wild animals from the jungles, forests and seas are very popular performers in circuses and moving pictures. People realize that, although animals may not have the same intelligence as human beings, they are smart enough to learn certain things. The first thing a dog is taught is to obey. It should not take too long for him to learn commands. Simple orders, such as “sit, lie down, stay there, come here,” can even be taught by a child. Training a dog to be a watchdog often produces unexpected results. Some dogs quickly learn the difference between unwanted people and friends. This is because their masters welcome friends and invite them into their houses. However, some dogs will always attack the postman who comes to deliver letter. One explanation for this behavior is that although the postman comes to the house often, he never enters the house. Therefore, the dog thinks the postman is someone who is not wanted, but keeps coming back anyway. Dogs are extremely useful as companions for blind people. When a dog has been properly trained, he will always lead his blind master in the right direction and keep him out of danger. For example, seeing-eye dogs learn never to cross a busy road when cars are coming, even if their masters command them to do so. Horses are also able to learn many things. Horses that are used for guard or police duty must learn never to be frightened of noises traffic, and other disturbances. Racing horses are able to run much faster than other horses, but they are also quite high strung. Therefore, it is necessary for those people who train them to be very patient and understanding. Pigeons have a natural instinct to return home, even if they are very far away and the trip is hard or dangerous. Men utilize this homing instinct to send messages on small pieces of paper which are fastened to the pigeons’ backs or legs. In war time, pigeons have been known to fly as fast as 75 miles and hour and to cover distances of 500 to 600 miles. These homing pigeons begin their training when they are about four weeks old. After a few weeks they can begin flying and carrying messages. If all goes well, their flying career lasts about four years. Animals can learn to do many things that, while not necessarily useful, are very amusing to watch. In circuses, animals are taught to do the tricks that are most compatible to their physical and temperamental make-up. Lions and tigers can be taught to leap and spring gracefully when told to do so, or to stay n place on command. Elephants learn to walk in line, to stand on their hind legs, to lie on their sides, and to stand on their heads. They can also learn to dance. 1. Some dogs may be suspicious of postmen because____________. A) postmen carry large, suspicious-looking bags B) postmen wear uniforms C) postmen never enter a house D) postmen come to a house often 2. Dogs who accompany blind people must learn____________. A) to obey all orders B) to obey only safe orders C) never to cross busy roads D) to cross roads when commanded to do so 3. Race horses are hard to train because they are____________. A) faster than other horses B) smaller than other horses C) more suspicious than other horses D) more nervous than other horses 4. Pigeons can carry messages for about____________. A) two weeks B)four weeks C)two years D)four years 5. From this passage, we are told that____________. A) many animals are clever enough to learn certain useful and intresting things B) pigeons are used to guard sheep C) horses are used in carrying information D) dogs are valuable in performance Passage Eight China and the United States singed an historic agreement on November 15,1999. The agreement will pave the way for Beijing to enter the World Trade Organization (WTO), 13 years after it applied to join. While Beijing has still to complete negotiations with other WTO members, the US was the toughest party to deal with. The agreement, and after six grueling days and nights of negotiations, opens the way for China to join the world’s principal trading body and is the mainland’s most important economic event since December 1979, when it turned from state planning and isolationism to reform and the open policy. The chief US negotiator, Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky, described the deal as “profoundly important”, “absolutely comprehensive” and an excellent on for American business. At a meeting with Ms. Barshefsky, President Jiang Zemin called the deal “good, historic and realistic”, and a win-win for both sides which showed that both countries saw the issue from a strategic viewpoint. China’s entry into the WTO will have profound influence on the country, binding hr to international trading rules and encouraging foreign firms to invest by providing a system based on transparent laws and regulations. It also marks a vital political victory for Prime Minister Zhu Rongji, who offered a similar deal in Washington in April. At a news conference just before she left china, Ms. Barshefsky said the support of the two presidents had been crucial. Presidents Bill Clinton and Jiang Zemin met in Auckland and agreed to put the talks back on track, with a deadline of the next round of WTO talks that will begin in seattle on November 30. 1. When did China apply to join WTO? A) In 1999 B) In 1947 C) In 1969 D) In 1986 2. What happened in china in 1979? A) China carried out reform and open policy. B) China carried out state planning. C) China carried out isolationism. D) China carried out forging business. 3. Who is Charlene Barshefsky? A) She is a representative. B) She is a trader. C) She is the chief US negotiator. D) She is a member. 4. What did Premier Zhu Rongji do in April? A) He agreed to talk in Bejing. B) He suggested a negotiation in Washington. C) He made a speech in Beijing. D) He would visit Washington. 5. What did the two presidents do? A) They signed and agreement. B) They visited each other. C) They refused to negotiate. D) They agreed to put the negotiation on track. Passage Nine The United states government has published a report about what the earth may be like, 20 years from now. government scientists , economists and technical experts studied present problems. They presented picture of the kind world these problems will bring if they are not solved. The picture of earth after the year 2000 is not a pleasant one. The world will be more crowded because the population continues to grow. The population could be as many as 6350 million people. Most of the people would live in cities, especially cities in developing countries. The experts say food production will increase, but not enough to feed all these people. They said most of the increase would be in countries that already produce enough food for their populations they said little increase in food production could be expected in South Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Damage to the environment could be very severe, Air pollution will get worse as industrial countries burn more coal and oil. Energy will continue to be a problem. The report says economic differences will increase between developed and developing nations. It warns that much of the world’s population will be even poorer than today. The experts said their picture of the earth in 20 years may be wrong. They said they only carried forward the situations or trends that exist today. By changing the situation, by solving the problems, the picture can be changed. They said there still is time for the nations of the world to work together on a plan of action. But they warned that waiting too long to make decisions will greatly miss the chances of success. 1. What is the report about? A) It’s about the future of the earth. B) It’s about the present picture of the earth. C) It’s about the population of the earth. D) It’s about the success of the earth. 2. In the 21 century, the world will be______________________. A) more spacious B) bigger C) more crowded D) smaller 3. In the future, the food production in the Middle East______________________. A) will have decreased B) will have no increase C) will have much increase D) will have little increase 4. In industrial countries, air pollution______________________. A) will be controlled B) will get worse C) will get better D) will get less 5. What is told in the report by the scientists______________________. A) is absolutely right B) is hardly wrong C) will surely come true D) is not necessarily true Passage Ten Too much noise may be dangerous to your health. A number of studies have shown that living or working where there is a great deal of noise can cause hearing loss. But there also is a growing amount of scientific evidence shown that continued loud noise may cause other medical problems. These include high blood pressure, nervous disorders, learning problems, difficulty in sleeping and, possibly, even birth defects and some kind of heart disease. One test showed the dangers facing people who spend a lot of time listening to loud music. A New York City doctor studied 70 young persons who work in popular dancing and drinking places where music is played loudly. She found that more than 30 percent of them had suffered severe and permanent hearing loss. Normally, she said, less than one percent of people at that age suffer such loss. The doctor, Jane Madell, also studied a group of 40 New York City firemen. All had worked near loud warning sirens on fire trucks for ten years or more. Doctor Madell found that 75% percent of them had suffered a severe hearing loss. Doctor said some persons are more likely than others to suffer hearing loss from continued loud noise. But they said they can not learn which persons face the most danger until permanent hearing damage has been done. Another scientist discovered that loud noise appears to limit a child’s ability to learn. The scientist Arlene Btrnzapt studied students at a New York City school near a busy railroad. Students in rooms near the railroad had difficulty in learning read. This was not true for the students in quieter parts of the school. After steps were taken to reduce the train noise, a new study found that the reading problem had disappeared. 1. What do the studies show? A) Noise can be controlled. B) Too much noise may cause medical problems. C) Noise can disappear. D) Too much noise is possible. 2. Faced with loud noise, how many young men and firemen suffered severe hearing loss? A) 1% and 25% B) 60% and 25% C) 30% and 75% D) 75% and 30% 3. Too much noise can cause______________________. A) only medical problems except hearing loss B) only hearing loss C) hearing loss and sleeping problems D) not only hearing loss but also other medical problems 4. The last paragraph showed that______________________. A) loud noise may cause reading problem B) loud noise may disappear itself C) reading problem may disappear itself D) reading problem may cause loud noise 5. It is clear that______________________. A) doctors don’t know who face the most danger of hearing damage B) doctors know who face the danger of hearing loss C) doctors are easy to suffer hearing damage D) doctors are likely to learn the hearing loss Passage Eleven In the late 19th century, when Darwin was writing about the origin of the species, he made comparisons between the structure of man and the apes. This led some scientists to believe that man is a direct descendant of gorillas and chimpanzees. These scientists said that fossil remains of a creature halfway between man and the apes, a “missing link” must exist. At the time Darwin wrote, there were no known pre-human fossils of any kind, but in the last 70 years they have turned up in ever greater numbers. The fossils possess both human and apelike characteristics, in varying degrees, but only one fitted the picture of the famed “missing link”. It was discovered in 1912 in England. Popularly known as the “Piltdown Man”, the fossil had a human cranium and an apelike jaw. Now wonder, for the fossil was a fake put together with the skull of a man and the jaw of an ape. The fake was not discovered until 1953 making it the most successful hoax in scientific history. Today we know that there is no “missing link”. Instead, we have a picture of men and apes sitting on near-by but separate branches of the same evolutionary tree. Actually, modern apes-the gorilla, chimpanzee, and orangutan did not appear in their present forms until relatively recently. Back some 20 million years ago, a common ancestor, from which both man and the apes emerged, probably did exist. But thereafter the branches leading to man and ape diverged. 1. This passage is mainly about______________________. A) Darwin B) man’s origin C) pre-human fossils D) the “Piltdown Man” 2. Man is descended from______________________. A) the apes B) the “missing link” C) an unknown ancestor D) the “piltdown man” 3. Fossils discovered in the past 70 years______________________. A) combine human and apelike characteristics B) fit the picture of the “missing link” C) possess human craniums and apelike jaws D) tend to cast doubt on Darwin’s theories 4. According to the passage, the gorillas you might see in a zoo______________________. A) are ancestors of man B) have existed in their present from for 20 million years C) emerged from the same evolutionary branch as man D) are a fairly recent evolutionary development 5. A “hoax” is a ______________________. A) discovery B) pre-human fossil C) mystery D) fake Passage Twelve Modern scientists divide the process of dying into two phases-clinical or temporary death and biological death. Clinical death occurs when the vital organs, such as the heart or lungs, have ceased to function but have not suffered permanent damage. The organism can still be revived. Biological death occurs when changes in the organism lead to the disintegration of vital cells and tissues. Death is then irreversible and final. Scientists have been seeking a way to prolong the period of clinical death so that the organism can be reanimated before biological death occurs. The best method developed so far involves cooling of the organism, combined with narcotic sleep. By slowing down the body’s metabolism, cooling delays the processes leading to biological death. To illustrate how this works, scientist performed an experiment on a six-year-old female baboon called Keta. The scientist put Keta to sleep with a narcotic. Then they surrounded her body with ice-bags and began checking her body temperature. When it had dropped to 28 degrees the scientists began draining blood from an artery. The monkey’s blood pressure decreased and an hour later both the heart and respiration stopped; clinical death set in. for twenty minutes Kate remained in this state. Her temperature dropped to 22 degrees. At this point the scientists pumped blood into an artery in the direction of the heart and start artificial respiration. After two minutes the baboon’s heart became active once more. After fifteen minutes, spontaneous respiration began, and after four hours Keta opened her eyes and lifted her head. After six hours, when the scientists tried to give her a penicillin injection, Keta seized the syringe and ran with it around the room. Her behavior differed little from that of a healthy animal. 1. This passage focuses on______________________. A) the difference between biological and clinical death B) the process of dying C) prolonging the period of clinical death D) the nature of clinical death 2. One characteristic of clinical death is ______________________. A) lasting damage to the lungs B) destruction of the tissues C) temporary non-functioning of the heart D) that the organism cannot be reanimated 3. According to the passage, cooling an organism ______________________. A) speeds up the body’s metabolism B) retards disintegration of body tissues C) prevents damage to organs D) revives damage organs 4. “Keta” in the experiment is ______________________. A) a girl B) a medicine C) a tree D) a monkey 5. One possible benefit of the experiment discussed in the passage is __________________. A) less crowded cities B) victory over death C) protection against fatal injury D) fewer death from heart attacks Passage Thirteen Taste is such a subjective matter that we don’t usually conduct preference tests for food. The most you can say about anyone’s preference is that it’s one person’s opinion. But because the two big cola companies-Coca-Cola and Pepsi Cola are marketed so aggressively, we’ve wondered how big a role taste preference actually plays in brand loyalty. We set up a taste test that challenged people who identified themselves as either Coca-Cola or Pepsi fans: find your brand in a blind tasting. We invited staff volunteers who had a strong liking for either Coca-Cola Classic or Pepsi, Diet Coke, or Diet Pepsi. These were people who thought they’d have no trouble telling their brand from the other brand. We eventually located 19 regular cola drinkers and 27 diet cola drinkers. Then we fed them four unidentified samples of cola one at a time, regular colas for the one group, diet versions for the other. We asked them to tell us whether each sample was Coke or Pepsi, then we analyzed the records statistically to compare the participants’ choices with what mere guess-work could have accomplished. Getting all four samples right was a tough test, but not too tough, we thought, for people who believed they could recognize their brand. In the end, only 7 out of 19 regular cola drinkers correctly identified their brand of choice in all four trials. The diet-cola drinkers did a little worse-only 7 of 27 identified all four samples correctly. While both group made the wrong choice two or more times, nearly half the participants in each group made the wrong choice two or more times. Two people got all four samples wrong. Overall, half the participants did about as well on the last round of tasting as on the first, so fatigue, or taste burnout, was not a factor. Our preference test results suggest that only a few Pepsi participants and Coke fans may really be able to tell their favorite brand by taste and price. 1. According to the passage the preference test was carried out in order to ______________. A) find out the role taste preference plays in a person’s drinking B) reveal which cola is more to the liking of the drinkers C) show that a person’s opinion about taste is mere guess-work D) compare the ability of the participants in choosing their drinks 2. The statistics recorded in the preference tests show__________________. A) Coca-Cola and Pepsi are people’s two most favorite drinks B) there is not much difference in taste between Coca-Cola and Pepsi C) few people had trouble telling Coca-Cola from Pepsi D) people’s tastes differ from one another 3. It is implied in the first paragraph that__________________. A) the purpose of taste tests is to improve the sale of colas B) the improvement of quantity is the chief concern of the two cola companies C) the competition between the two colas is very strong D) blind tasting is necessary for identifying fans 4. The word “burnout” (Line 4, Para.5) here refers to state of __________________. A) being seriously burnt in the skin B) being unable to burn for lack of power C) being terribly damaged by fire D) being unable to function because of too much use 5. The author’s purpose in writing this passage is to __________________. A) show that taste preference is highly subjective B) argue that taste testing is an important marketing strategy C) emphasize that taste and price are closely related to each other D) recommend that blind tasting be introduced in the quality control of colas Passage fourteen If women are mercilessly exploited year after year, the have only themselves to blame, because they tremble at the thought of being seen in public in clothes that are out of fashion, they are always taken advantage of by the designers and the big stores. Clothes which have been worn only a few times have to be put aside because of the change of fashion. When you come to think of it, only a woman is capable of standing in front of a wardrobe packed full of clothes and announcing sadly that she has nothing to wear. Changing fashions are nothing more than the intentional creation of waste. Many women spend vast sums of money each year to replace clothes that have hardly been worn. Women who cannot afford to throw away clothing in this way, waste hours of their time altering the dresses they have. Dresses are lengthened or shortened. Neck lines are lowered or raised and so on. No one can claim that the fashion industry contributes anything really important to society. Fashion designers are hardly concerned with vital things like warmth, comfort and durability. They are only interested in outward appearance and they take advantage of the fact that women will put up with any amount of discomfort, as long as they look right. There can hardly be a man who hasn’t at some time in his life smiled at the sight of a woman shaking in a thin dress on a winter day, or delicately picking her way through deep snow in high-heeled shoes. When comparing men and women in the matter of fashion, the conclusions to be drawn are obvious. Do the constantly changing fashions of women’s clothes reflect basic qualities of inconstancy and instability? Men are too clever to let themselves be cheated by fashion designers. Do their unchanging styles of dress reflect basic qualities of stability and reliability? That is for you to decide. 1. Designers and big stores always earn money__________________. A) by mercilessly exploiting women workers in the clothing industry B) because they are capable of predicting new fashions C) by continuously changing the fashions in women’s clothing D) because they attach great importance to quality in women’s clothing 2. To the writer, the fact that the women alter their old-fashioned dresses is seen as ________. A) a waste of money B) a waste of time C) an expression of taste D) an expression of creativity 3. The writer would be less critical if fashion designers paid more attention to the_________. A) cost of clothing B) appearance of clothing C) comfort of clothing D) suitability of clothing 4. According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE? A) New fashions in clothing are created for commercial exploitation of women. B) The constant changes in women’s clothing reflect their strength of character. C) The fashion industry makes an important contribution to society. D) Fashion designers should not be encouraged since they are only welcomed by women. 5. By saying “the conclusions to be drawn are obvious”, the writer means that ___________. A) women’s clothes are insatiable and inconstant B) men don’t change their fashions C) men are cleverer than women D) men are more stable and reliable that women Passage Fifteen The fridge is considered a necessity. It has been so since the 1960s when packaged food first appeared with the label: “store in the refrigerator.” In my fridgeless Fifties childhood, I was fed well and healthily. The milkman came daily, the grocer, the butcher, the baker and the ice-cream man delivered two or three times a week. The Sunday meat would last until Wednesday and the rest of the bread and milk became all kinds of cakes. Nothing was wasted and we were never troubled by rotten food. Thirty years on, food deliveries have stopped, fresh vegetables are almost unobtainable in the country. The invention of the fridge contributed little to the art of food preservation. A vast way of well-tried techniques already existed-natural cooling, drying, smoking, salting, sugaring, bottling…… What refrigeration did promote was marketing-marketing hardware and electricity, marketing dead bodies of animals around the globe in search of a good price. Therefore, most of the world’s fridges are to be found, not in the hot areas where they might prove useful, but in the wealthy countries with mild temperatures where they are climatically almost unnecessary. Every winter, millions of fridges hum away continuously, and at vast expense, busily maintaining an artificially-cooled space inside, an artificially-heated house outside, nature provides the desired temperature free of charge. The fridge’s effect upon the environment has been evident, while its contribution to human happiness has been insignificant. If you don’t believe me, try it yourself, invest in a food cabinet and turn off your fridge next winter. You may miss the hamburgers but at least you’ll get rid of that terrible hum. 1. “Fridge” is the shortened from for __________________. A) fried bridge B) enfridger C) food shortage D) refrigerator 2. The statement “In my fridgeless Fifties childhood, I was fed well and healthily” suggests__________________. A) the author was well-fed and healthy even without a fridge in his fifties B) the author was not accustomed to using fridges even is his fifties C) there was no fridge in the author’s home in the 1950s D) the fridge was in its early stage of development in the 1950s 3. Why does the author say that nothing was wasted before the invention of fridges? A) People would not buy more food than was necessary. B) Food was delivered to people two or three times a week. C) Food was sold fresh and did not get rotten easily. D) People had effective ways to preserve their food. 4. Who benefited the least from fridges according to the author? A) Inventors. B) Fridge users. C) Producers. D) Travelling salesmen. 5. What is the author’s overall attitude toward fridges? A) Middle. B) Critical. C) Objective. D) Praiseful. Passage Sixteen One hundred and thirteen million Americans have at least one bank-issued credit card. They give their owners automatic credit in stores, restaurants, and hotels, at home, across the country, and even abroad, and they make many banking services available as well. More and more of these credit cards can be read automatically, making it possible to withdraw or deposit money in different places, whether of not the local branch bank is open. For many of us the “cashless society” is not in the sky--it’s already here. While computers offer these conveniences to consumers, they have many advantages for sellers too. Electronic cash registers can do much more than simply record sales. This information allows businessmen to keep track of their list of goods by showing which items are being sold and how fast they are moving. Decision to reorder or return goods to suppliers can then be made. At the same time these computers record which hours are busiest and which employees are the most efficient, allowing personnel and staffing assignments to be made. And they also identify preferred customers for promotional campaigns. Computers are relied on by manufacturers for similar reasons. Computer-analyzed marketing reports can help to decide which products to emphasize now, which to develop for the future, and which to give up. Computers keep track of goods in stock, of raw materials on hand, and even of the production process itself. Numerous other commercial enterprises, from theaters to magazine publishers, from gas and electric utilities to milk processors, bring better and more efficient services to consumers through the use of computers. 1. According to the passage, the credit card enables its owner to __________________. A) cash money where he wishes to B) obtain more convenient services than other people to C) enjoy greater trust from the storekeeper D) withdraw as much money from the bank as he wishes 2. From the last sentence of the first paragraph we learn that__________________. A) in the future all the Americans will use cash B) credit cards are rarely used in the U.S. today C) nowadays many Americans do not pay in cash D) it is now more convenient to use credit cards and cash than before 3. Which of the following is TRUE? A) Electronic cash registers can keep various records. B) Electronic cash registers can simply record sales. C) Electronic cash registers make decisions. D) Electronic cash registers can analyze markets and make decisions themselves. 4. The word “enterprise” in the last paragraph most probably means__________________. A) market B) product C) businessmen D) business 5. What is this passage mainly about? A) Approaches to the commercial use of computers. B) Conveniences brought about by computers in business. C) Significance of automation in commercial enterprises. D) Advantages of credit cards in business. Passage seventeen 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 basic change in the way we work. Already we’re partly 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 cannot be measured by numbers alone, because it also is giving rise to a radical new way of thinking about the nature of work itself. Traditional ideas about jobs and careers, the skills needed to succeed, even the relation between employees 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 predicted the ways in which a single invention, the chip, would change our world thanks to its applications in personal computers, in digital communications and in 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 important and the people who possess it, whether they work in manufacturing or services, will have the advantage and produce the wealth, computer knowledge well become as basic a requirement as the ability to read and write. The ability to solve problems by applying information instead of performing daily tasks will be valued above all else. If you cast your mind ahead 10 years, information services will be essential. It will be the way you do your job. 1. 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 2. 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 3. 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 4. 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 5. Which of the following would be the bet 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. Passage Eighteen Every artist knows in his heart that he is saying something to the public. Not only does he want to say it well, but he wants it to be something which has not been said before. He hopes the public will listen and understand—he wants to teach them, and he wants them to learn from him. What visual artists like painters want to teach is easy to make out but difficult to explain, because painters translate their experiences into shapes and colors, not words. They seem to feel that a certain selection of shapes and colors, out of the countless billions possible, is exceptionally interesting for them and worth showing to us. Without their work we should never exceptionally interesting for them and worth showing to us. Without their work we should never have noticed these particular shapes and colors, or have felt the delight which they brought to the artist. Most artists take their shapes and colors from the world of nature and from human bodies in motion and steadiness: their choices indicate that these aspects of the world are worth looking at, that they contain beautiful sights. Contemporary artists might say that they merely choose subjects that provide an interesting pattern, and that there is nothing more in it, yet even they do not choose entirely without reference to the character of their subjects. If one painter chooses to paint an injured leg and another a lake in moonlight, each of them is directing our attention to certain aspect of the world. Each painter is telling us something, showing us something, emphasizing something—all of which means that, consciously or unconsciously, he is trying to teach us. 1. Without the artist’s work, the public might not______________. A) notice particular shapes or colors B) see the shapes and colors that express his experience C) feel his delight in shapes and colors D) all of the above 2. An artist’s choice of shapes and colors indicates that he believes them to be ___________. A) steady B) moving C) interesting D) worth looking 3. Contemporary artists often think their choice of subject______________. A) carries little message to the public B) teaches the public important truths C) provides an interesting pattern C) has no pattern or form 4. The writer says that contemporary art contains ______________. A) completely meaningful things B) totally meaningless subjects C) subjects chosen partly for their meaning D) uninteresting aspects of the world 5. Compared with a painter of unpleasant subjects, a painter who draws a lake in moonlight is ______________. A) conveying more meaning B) more skilled C) pointing to something pleasant D) showing more patterns Passage Nineteen Once it was possible to define male and female roles easily by the division of labor. Men worked outside the home and earned the income to support their families, while women cooked the meals and took care of the home and the children. These roles were firmly fixed for most people, and there was not much opportunity for men or women to exchange their roles. But by the middle of this century, men’s and women’s roles were becoming less firmly fixed. In the 1950s, economic and social success was the goal of the typical American. But in the 1960s developed a new force called the counterculture. The people involved in this movement did not value the middle-class American goals. The counterculture presented men and women with new role choices. Taking more interest in child care, men began to share child-raising tasks with their wives. In fact, some young men and women moved to communal homes or farms where the economic and childcare responsibilities were shared equally by both sexes. In addition, many Americans did not value the traditional male role of soldier. Some young men refused to be drafted as soldiers to fight in the war in Vietnam. In terms of numbers, the counterculture was not a very large group of people. But its influence spread to many parts of American society. Working men of all classes began to change their economic and social patterns. Industrial workers and business executives alike cut down on “overtime” work so that they could spend more leisure time with their families. Some doctors, lawyers, and teachers turned away from high paying situations to practice their professions in poorer neighborhoods. In the 1970s, the feminist movement, or women’s liberation, produced additional economic and social changes. Women of all ages and at all levels of society were entering the work force in greater numbers. Most of them still took traditional women’s jobs such as public school teaching, nursing, and secretarial work. But some women began to enter traditionally male occupations: police work, banking, dentistry, and construction work. Women were asking for equal work, and equal opportunities for promotion. Today the experts generally agree that important changes are taking place in the roles of men and women. Naturally, there are difficulties in adjusting to these changes. 1. Which of the following best expresses the main idea of Paragraph 1? A) Women usually worked outside the home for wages. B) Men’s and women’s roles were easily exchanged in the past. C) men’s roles at home was more firmly fixed than women’s. D) Men’s and women’s roles were usually quite separated in the past. 2. In the passage the author suggests that the counterculture ______________. A) destroyed the U.S. B) changed some American values C) was not important in the U.S. D) brought people more leisure time with their families 3. It could be inferred from the passage that ______________. A) men and women will never share the same goals B) some men will be willing to change their traditional male roles C) most men will be happy to share some of the household responsibilities with their wives. D) more American households are headed by women than ever before 4. Women’s liberation took place in the ______________. A) 1970s B) 1960s C) 1950s D) long long ago 5. The best title for the passage may be ______________. A) Results of Feminist Movement B) New Influences in American Life C) Counterculture and Its Consequence D) Traditional Division of Male and Female Roles Passage Twenty Demands for stronger protection for wildlife in Britain sometimes hide the fact that similar needs are felt in the rest of Europe. Studies by the Council of Europe, of which 21 countries are members, have shown that 45 percent of reptile species and 24 percent of butterflies are in danger of dying out. European concern for wildlife was outlined by Dr. Peter Baum, an expert in the environment and nature resources division of the council, when he spoke at a conference arranged by the administrators of a British national park. The park is one of the few areas in Europe to hold the council’s diploma for nature reserves of the highest quality, and Dr. Baum had come to present it to the park once again. He was afraid that public opinion was turning against national parks, and that those set up in the 1960s and 1970s could not be set up today. But Dr. Baum clearly remained a strong supporter of the view that natural environments needed to be allowed to survive in peace in their own right. No area could be expected to survive both as a true nature reserve and as a tourist attraction, he went on. The short view that reserves had to serve immediate human demands for outdoor recreation should be replaced by full acceptance of their importance as places to preserve nature for the future. “We forget that they are the guarantee of life systems, on which any built-up area ultimately depends,” Dr. Baum went on. “We could manage without most industrial products, but we could not manage without nature. However, our natural environment areas, which are the original parts of our countryside, have shrunk to become mere islands in a spoiled and highly polluted land mass.” 1. Recent studies by the Council of Europe show that ______________. A) it is only in Britain that wildlife needs more protection B) certain species of reptiles and butterflies in Europe need protecting C) there are fewer species of reptiles and butterflies in Europe than elsewhere D) all species of wildlife in Europe are in danger of dying out 2. Dr. Baum, a representative of the Council, visited one particular British national park because ______________. A) he was presenting the park with a diploma for its achievements B) he was concerned about how the park was being run C) it was the only national park of its kind in Europe D) it was the only park which had ever received a diploma from the Council 3. Although it is difficult nowadays to convince the public of the importance of nature reserves, Dr. Baum felt that ______________. A) people would support move to create more environment areas B) people would carry on supporting those national parks in existence C) existing national parks would need to be more independent to survive D) certain areas of our countryside should be left undisturbed by man 4. In Dr. Baum’s opinion, a true nature reserve ______________. A) could never survive in a modern age B) should provide buildings for human activities C) should be regarded as a place where nature is protected D) could provide special areas for tourists to enjoy 5. Although we all depend on the resources of nature for our survival, ______________. A) industrial products are replacing all our natural resources B) we have allowed areas of countryside to be spoilt by industrial development C) we have forgotten what our original countryside looked like D) it is only on islands that nature survives Key (答案) Passage One: 1.D 2.B 3.A 4.C 5.A Passage Two: 1.A 2.B 3.C 4.D 5.B Passage Three: 1.B 2.C 3.C 4.A 5.D Passage Four: 1.D 2.A 3.C 4.B 5.A Passage Five: 1.D 2.C 3.A 4.B 5.D Passage Six: 1.B 2.D 3.C 4.B 5.A Passage Seven: 1.C 2.B 3.D 4.D 5.A Passage Eight: 1.D 2.A 3.C 4.B 5.D Passage Nine: 1.A 2.C 3.D 4.B 5.D Passage Ten: 1.B 2.C 3.D 4.A 5.A Passage Eleven: 1.B 2.C 3.A 4.B 5.D Passage Twelve 1.C 2.C 3.B 4.D 5.C Passage Thirteen: 1.A 2.B 3.C 4.D 5.A Passage Fourteen: 1.C 2.B 3.C 4.A 5.D Passage Fifteen: 1.D 2.C 3.A 4.B 5.D Passage Sixteen: 1.A 2.C 3.A 4.D 5.B Passage Seventeen: 1.D 2.B 3.B 4.A 5.C Passage Eighteen: 1.D 2.D 3.C 4.C 5.C Passage Nineteen: 1.D 2.B 3.C 4.A 5.C Passage twenty: 1.B 2.A 3.D 4.C 5.B Passage twenty-one Telephone in a Business World The telephone is perhaps the most important tool in any office and it is important to know how to use it efficiently. The tone and manner of the person answering the telephone on behalf of any company reflects the style in which that company conducts its business. Is it courteous, helpful and cordial, or is it slovenly, careless and abrupt? As a businessman, you will certainly know what type of person you would rather deal with and what impression you would choose to give as the projection of your own business. The effective use of the telephone is a valuable skill for us to learn. Be polite, helpful, orderly, and natural, then you will be able to make use of telephone effective. Many people, thinking they can’t be heard, shout when speaking on telephone. This only serves to distort the sounds and make them difficult to distinguish. A level, normal speaking tone carries best, with careful and distinct pronunciation. The first word a caller should hear when the telephone is answered is the name of the company, department or organization, or a number if the call is to a private person’s home. It is essential that any caller know immediately whether he is speaking to the number or office he requires. Most large offices have a switchboard for all incoming calls and then lines to the various departments and members of the staff. It is, in such case, the duty of the receiver at the switchboard to announce the name of the organization: “Department of Commerce and Industry.” “United Airlines. Can I help you?” Never pick up a telephone and just say “Hello”. When a call comes in, it is polite to say, “Good morning,” or “Good afternoon,” or “Hello, can I help you?” That is much better than “Yes, who’ calling?” or “What’s your name?” The caller may then ask for a specific department or person. When the call is put though, whoever answers should announce the name of the section of department or his or her own name. Often when a very senior member of staff is asked for, the call will go first though his secretary who will ask: “who is calling, please?” before she ascertains whether her employer is free and wishes to speak himself. If he is busy or unavailable she will need to take a message. In these circumstances she should never try to rely on her own memory but make written notes on her pad (always kept beside the telephone) while the caller is speaking. Today, many companies and government departments may have their automatic answering services: if they are not at home or in the office (or don’t wish to be disturbed) they switch on a machine, which will answer your call. A pre-recorded message will say to you: “I’m sorry, so-and-so is not in at the moment. At the tone, please lease your name and number, he or she will call back as soon as possible.” Don’t get flustered when you hear the “beep”. It’s more efficient to leave your name and number than to waste your time calling again and again. It is important for us to know_____. A. where to use the telephone B. when to use the telephone C. how to put the telephone D. how to use the telephone What is a valuable skill for us to learn? ______. The difficult use of the telephone The efficient use of the telephone The different use of the telephone The various use of the telephone When a call comes in, it is polite to say, “_____” A. Yes, who’s calling? B. Hello! C. Hello, can I help you? D. What’s your name? When someone is calling the boss in the office, usually _____will answer first. A. the boss himself B. anyone in the office C. the boss’ wife D. the secretary What can you learn from this passage? To use the telephone efficiently is very important. To use the telephone efficiently is very easy. To use the telephone efficiently is very difficult. To use the telephone efficiently is very interesting. Passage twenty-two There are no defined standard for entry into a public relations career. A college degree combined with public relations experience, usually gained through an internship, is considered excellent preparation for public relations work; in fact, internships are becoming vital to obtaining employment. The ability to communicate effectively is essential. Many entry-level public relations specialists have a college major in public relations, journalism, advertising, or communication. Some firms seek college graduates who have worked in electronic or print journalism. Other employers seek applicants with demonstrated communication skills and training or experience in a field related to the firm’s business-information technology, health, science, engineering, sales, or finance, for example. Many colleges and universities offer bachelors and post secondary degrees in public relations, usually in a journalism or communications department. In addition, many other colleges offer at least one curse in this field. A common public relations sequence includes courses in public relations principles and techniques; public relations management and administration, including organizational development. Courses in advertising, journalism, business administration, finance, political science, psychology, and creative writing are also helpful. Specialties are offered in public relations for business, government, and nonprofit organization. Many colleges help students gain part-time internships in public relations that provide valuable experience and training. The U.S. Armed Forces also can be an excellent place to gain training and experience. Membership in local chapters of the Public Relations Student Society of America ( affiliated with the Public Relations Society of America ) or the International Association of Business Communicators provides an opportunity for students to exchange views with public relations specialists and to make professional contacts that may help them find a job in the field. A portfolio of published articles, television or radio programs, slide presentations, and other work is an asset in finding a job. Writing for a school publication or television or radio station provides valuable experience and material for one’s portfolio. Creativity, initiative, good judgment, and the ability to express thoughts clearly and simply are essential. Decision-making, problem-solving, and research skills are also important. An understanding of human psychology, and an enthusiasm for motivating people, they should be competitive, yet able to function as part of a team and open to new ideas. What are becoming vital to obtaining employment? A. Internship. B. The ability to communicate effectively. C. The professor. D. Both A and B. Some firms seek college graduates_____. who have worked in print journalism who will work in print journalism who want to work in print journalism who is studying public relation _____ offer bachelors and post secondary degrees in public relations. Many companies Many colleges and universities Many employers Many Public Relations Specialists There are ____ for entry into a public relations career. some defined standards certain defined standards no defined standards a lot of defined standards The author mainly tells us _____. some things about the Public Relations Specialists the training and qualifications of the Public Relations how to become a Public Relations Specialist it is difficult to be a Public Relations Specialist Passage twenty-three Some public relations specialists work a standard 35-to 40-hour week, but unpaid overtime in common. Occasionally, they must be at the job or on call around the clock, especially if there is an emergency or crisis. Public relations offices are busy places; work schedules can be irregular and frequently interrupted. Schedules often have to be rearranged so that workers can meet deadlines, deliver speeches, attend meetings and community activities, or travel. Public relations specialists held about 158,000 jobs in 2002. Public relations specialists were concentrated in service-providing industries such as advertising and related services; health care and social assistance; educational services; and government. Other worked for communications firms, financial institutions, and government agencies. About 11,000 public relations specialists were self-employed. Public relations specialists are concentrated in large cities, where press services and other communications facilities are readily available and many businesses and trade associations have their headquarters. Many public relations consulting firms, for example, are in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, and Washington D.C. There is a trend, however, for public relations jobs to be dispersed throughout the Nation, closer to clients. Employment of public relations specialists is expected to increase faster than average for all occupations through 2012. the need for good public relations in an increasingly competitive business environment should spur demand for public relations specialists in organizations of all types and sizes. The value of a company is measured not just by its balance sheet, but also by the strength of its relationships with those upon whom it depends for its success. And, in the wake of corporate scandals, more emphasis will be placed on improving the image of the client, as well as building public confidence. Employment in public relations firms should grow as firms hire contractors to provide public relations services rather than support full-time staff. In addition to those arising from employment growth, job opportunities should result from the need to replace public relations specialists who take other jobs or who leave the occupation altogether. Some public relations specialists work a standard _____. A. 30-to 40-hour week B. 35-to 40-hour week C. 35-to 45-hour week D. 35-to 42-hour week Public relations specialists held about _____ in 2002. A. 11000 jobs B. 11580 jobs C. 158000 jobs D.150000 jobs Public relations specialists are concentrated _______. A. in large cities B. in large firms C. in large government departments D. in the companies According to the passage ___ will be placed on improving the image of the client. more money B. more emphasis C. more people D. more time The author mainly tells us _____. some things about the working hours of the Public how much money the Public relations specialists earn how many Public relations specialists there are in the world the work condition and employment of the Public Relations Specialists Passage twenty-four Fresh Air Will Kill You Smog, which was once the big attraction of Los Angeles, can now be found all over the country from Montana to New York City, and people are getting used to polluted air that it’s very difficult for then to breath anything else. I was lecturing recently, and one of my stops was Flagstaff, Arizona, which is about 1,200 meters above sea level. As soon as I got out of the plane, I smelled something peculiar. “ What’s that smell? ” I asked the man who met me at the plane. “I don’t smell anything, ” he replied. “There’s a definite odor that I’m not familiar with, ”I said. “Oh, you must be talking about the fresh air. A lot of people come out here who have never smelled fresh air before. ” “What’s it supposed to do? ” I asked suspiciously. “Nothing. You just breathe it like any other kind of air. It’s supposed to be good for your lungs. ” “I’ve heard that story before, ” I said. “How come if it’s air, my eyes aren’t watering? ” “Your eyes don’t water with fresh air. That’s the advantage of it. Save you a lot in paper tissues. ” I looked around and everything appeared crystal clear. It was a strange sensation and made me feel very uncomfortable. My host, sensing this, tried to be reassuring. “Please don’t worry about it. Tests have proved that you can breathe fresh air day and night without its doing any harm to the body. ” “You’re just saying that because you don’t want me to leave, ”I said. “Nobody who has lived in a major city can stand fresh sir for a very long time. He has no tolerance for it. ” “Well, if the fresh air bothers you, why don’t you put a handkerchief over your nose and breathe through your mouth? ” “Okay, I’ll try it. If I don’t know I was coming to a place that had nothing but fresh air, I would have brought a surgical mask. ” We drove in silence. About fifteen minutes later he asked, “ How do you feel now? ” “Okay, I guess, but I surely miss sneezing. ” “We don’t sneeze too much here, ” the man admitted. “ Do they sneeze a lot where you come from? ” “All the time. There are some days when that’s all you do. ” “Do you enjoy it? ” “Not necessarily, but if you don’t sneeze, you’ll die. Let me ask you something. How come there’s no air pollution around here? ” “Flagstaff can’t seem to attract industry. I guess we are really behind the times. The only smoke we get is when the Indians start signalling each other. But the wind seems to blow it away. ” The fresh air was making me feel dizzy. “ Isn’t there a diesel bus around here that I could breathe into for a couple of hours? ” “Not at this time of day. I might be able to find a truck for you. ” We found a truck driver, and slipped him a five-dollar bill, and he let me put my head near his exhaust pipe for a half hour. I was immediately revived and able to give my speech. Nobody was as happy to leave Flagstaff as I was. My next stop was Los Angeles, and when I got off the plane, I took a big deep breath of the smog-filled air, my eyes stared to water, I began to sneeze, and I felt like a new man again. _____once attracted many people to Los Angeles. Polluted air B. Smog C. Montana D. The beautiful scene The writer may be familiar with _____. polluted air B. fresh air C. definite odor D. something peculiar The fresh air made the author _____. A. sneeze B. happy C. wear surgical mask D. feel ill Flagstaff can’t attract industry because ____. there’s no air pollution around there are still too many Indians it may be behind the times it usually makes men feel dizzy the author was very happy to return to Los Angeles, because______. his eyes started to water he began to sneeze he felt like a new man again none of the above Passage twenty-five Life in the Pacific Islands There are many groups of islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. They are called the Pacific Islands. These islands are always warm and weather is the same for most of the year. Between the months of April and November, there is less rain and some cool wind, but the weather is still warm. The people of the Pacific Islands have brown skins and thick black hair. They are usually tall and strong. They came from Asia a long time ago. A few of the words in their different languages are the same as words in some Asian languages. In the follow story, we can see a village from morning till evening. Life is still like this in many of the Pacific Islands. The life of the day begins when the sun comes up. The shouts of the young men are heard from among the trees. They shout to one another as they go quickly to their work. As the sun begins to shine on the soft brown roofs and the tall thin trees, lovers come home and birds caw. The noise of the sea is mixed with the noise of the village. Babies cry. Little children roll out of their beds and walk slowly down to the sea to wash their faces. Boys going fishing get their things and go to find their friends. The whole village opens its eyes and goes towards the sea. From the other end of the village comes a long loud cry. During the night someone’s friend in another village died. Women carrying babies stop to ask the name of the dead person. Men ready to catch fish together go towards the sea. They push the boats into the water and at this moment, through the village comes a noise. It calls the young men together. They come from all parts of the village. They go with their digging sticks to work in the village garden. The other men go to do their work by themselves. Little children are too hungry to wait for the first meal of the day. They eat pieces of cold food. Women carry washing to the sea or the river at the far end of the village. The older girls go firing or make cloth. In the houses the wives and mothers with young babies sit and talk to each other. Old men sit by themselves. They roll leaves to make rope. They talk quietly to themselves. Some families are ready hard at work. They are cooking today. The food is brought from the gardens. Children are running backwards and forwards carrying seawater. They get leaves to put in the food before it is cooked. It is 12 o’clock, the ground burns the feet of the little children and they run to the house. Some women carry big leaves to keep the sun away from their faces. Everything is quiet. The sun slowly moves towards the sea. Some one shouts: “A boat! ” the men bring their boats out of the sea on to the land. They are very tired because the day was hot. The fishes are put on the floor or put in front of the homes until the women pour water on them. Men come home from the garden. They shout as they come. They go together to a big house to drink. The day is almost finished. What is the weather like in the Pacific Islands? It is always the same for the year. It is warm all the year round except April and November. It is cool and rainy between the months of April and November. It is always warm and the same for most of the year. From the passage we can see that their ancestors were Asian because_______. they have brown skins and thick black hair some words in their language are the same as those in some Asian languages they came from Asia a long time ago all the above During the night someone’s friend died ________. A. at the other end of the village B. in another village C. in the village D. in the other part of the village In the day everything is quiet ________. A. after the sun comes up B. at noon C. as the sun slowly moves downwards the sea D. after supper the passage implies that ________. the young men work in the fields, the adults and the women and the old work at home the young men catch fish, the adults work in the fields and the women and the old work at home the young men work at home, the adults catch fish and the women and the old work in the fields the young men and the adults catch fish and the women and the old work at home Passage twenty-six Saving Rare Animals A two-faced approach is keeping tigers off people’s back in Bengal. Nothing that the terrible Sunderban tiger in western Bengal attacks men only from behind, managers at the tiger parks there send people who collect honey from wild bees and other workers into the forest with rubber masks tied to the backs of their heads. Since that method was adopted in 1987, not a single worker equipped with a mask has been attacked – but 30 of their comrades who preferred to put their faith in traditional gods or who didn’t put on the masks were killed in one year, according to an expert. The masks, along with other methods such as sending workers into the forest dressed in special suits that the tigers couldn’t bite through, have helped prevent the death of human beings and thus reduced the problems between people and the Sunderban tiger. This has helped the tigers to survive, and their numbers have doubled under a program started in 1973. The story is one of the successes in the mostly losing battle to save rare animals as people destroy the animals’ home to plow the soil for farming, or kill them through neglect or fear, or harvest them for meat or to make money. This weekend, about 200 experts belonging to the Species Survival Commission will meet in Rome to discuss how the battle to save rare animals should be fought. They are to draw up a plan to protect some of the world’s rarest plants and animals – which include elephants and lions, and also less beautiful animals such as crocodiles. “The saving of all types of plants and animals has got to be one of the most important problems in protecting the world’s environment, ” said Mark Hale, director of field operations of the organization that is the parent of the Species Survival Commission. Mr. Hale said that it was difficult to get people to dig into their pockets and give money to save some unpleasant animals. “There are all sorts of species that we have a hard time finding arguments for, ”he said. “And one of the things that do poor credit to our work is to argue too much to save any single particular species. The millions allocated to saving the California condor, as far as I’m concerned, could have been better spent. ” Nevertheless, Mr. Hale said, all organisms are important and man should think carefully about what might happen before allowing any type of animals to die out. Everything, no matter how bad, is something else’s meal. A snake that lives in a cave underground may be just as important as a beautiful cock that lives in the tree. “ If we allow ourselves to lose animals because they don’t happen to be attractive to us, then we are acting on emotion rather than on science, ” he said. In any event, the worst animals-like mosquitoes-are far from dying out, “I’m sorry to say, ” he added. “I’m not going to come to the defense of the mouse, but there are species that humans don’t like that may in fact be quite important, ” said another member of the Species Survival Commission. “Crocodiles for example. ” It seems they have an important role in keeping rivers clean. One idea that will be discussed at Rome is the setting free of animals born in zoos, which is no easy task, but which has worked in the case of some animals. People haven’t been attacked because________. they put their faith in traditional gods they tied rubber masks to the backs of their heads tigers attacked men only from behind they collected honey from wild bees The number of the tigers has doubled________. since the two-faced approach was adopted because the people succeeded in the mostly losing battles since nothing kept tigers off people’s back because people didn’t put on the masks people failed in the battle to save rare animals as they____. destroy the animals’ home to plow the soil for farming kill them through neglect or fear harvest them for meat or to make money all of the above The saving of some types of plants and animals has got to be one of the most important problems _______. A. in money B. in emotion C. in arguments D. in protecting the world’s environment The author mainly tells us that_____. we should lose some animals because they don’t happen to be attractive to us he was not going to come to the defense of the mouse all organisms are important and man shouldn’t allow any type of animal to die out one idea that will be discussed at Rome is the setting free of animals born in zoos Passage twenty-seven Travel In ancient times people did not travel for pleasure but to find new places where their herds could feed, or to escape from unfriendly neighbours, or to find better climate. They travelled on foot. Their journeys were long, tiring and often f\dangerous. They protected themselves with simple weapons, such as wooden sticks or stone clubs, and by lighting fire at night and, above all, by keeping together. Before long, they discovered easier ways of travelling. They rode on the backs of their horses; they cut open tree trunks and, by using bits of wood as paddles, were able to travel across water. Later they travelled, not from necessity, but for the joy and excitement of seeing and experiencing new things. This is still the main reason why we travel today. Travelling, of course, has now become a highly organized business. There are cars and beautiful roads, fast trains, huge ships and jet planes, all of which provide us with comforts and security. This sound wonderful, but there are difficulties. If you want to go abroad, you need a passport and a visa, tickets, luggage, and a hundred and one other things. If you lose any of them, your journey may be ruined. As I am fond of meeting with people, I prefer doing my travelling from an armchair. I like thinking of all those journeys that man has never made and will never make. I should like, for example, to have arrived in the world by stork. I should like to travel faster than time and have a look at the year A.D.3000 or go back into the past and talk to famous men. I should also like to travel like a shell across ocean floors where I could explore sunken ships and see the strange fish that men have never seen. Although we shall never make journeys such as these, there are others that will soon be made which fifty years ago would have seemed impossible. Scientists have invented machines that can explore outer space. One day there will be cheap day trips to the moon. People will be able to fly from one planet to another in spaceships. I say “people” because I have no idea of being one of them. What is the passage mainly about? The development of travelling. The ways of travelling. The aims of travelling. The reasons of travelling. In ancient times, people travelled ______. A. for pleasure B. on business C. to find better place to live in D. to relax Which of the following is not the main reason why people travel nowadays? A. For pleasure. B. From necessity. C. For seeing new things. D. For experiencing new things According to the passage, which of the following is NOT TRUE? You need do no more than a hundred and one things to travel abroad. Before long, men discovered it easier to travel by riding on horsebacks. In ancient times, their journeys were long, tiring and dangerous. Now, people are able to make journeys which they couldn’t make in the past. If it were possible, the author would like to ______. A. travel faster than time B. go back into the ancient times C. explore ocean floors D. all of the above Passage twenty-eight Travel in the U.S.A. Although America is such a huge country, travelling is really very quick and easy. The visitor who wants to see as much of the country as possible should travel by bus- that is, if he hasn’t got a friend who owns a car. It’s fun. There are fast bus services between cities: for example, the Greyhound Bus Service, which has a picture of a greyhound (a dog which can run very fast) on the side of the bus. Some buses have an upper and lower level. The roof is often made of glass, and in the summer the heat of the sun through the glass may make you feel too hot. Although the buses are cooled by air-conditioning, it does not always seem to work with such good effect on the top level. The seats are soft with a reading lamp over each one and they lean back for sleeping at night. On these long-distance buses there’s a toilet and other comforts on board. Stops are made for meals at roadside restaurants and there’s time to stretch your legs. It makes about three and a half days to cross America by bus with short stops for meal. What about long-distance train? These cost more than buses, so tourists do not use them so much. On the train, there are dining cars and bars where meals are served quickly. If you are spending the night on the train, you can pay for a roomette which is a small room (for one person) with a bed and a toilet. Flying is as simple as going by bus. Most cities have an airport. You can often buy your ticket and arrange your plane trip all within about twenty minutes. Businessmen who are in a hurry do all their travelling by plane. You can hire a car by hour, day or week in any of the larger cities, at airports, and in the National Parks. Many American families have two cars and probably spend as much time in them as they so in their houses. In this country a car is really necessary. Cars are brightly coloured, big and comfortable. The roads, or highways as they are called, are splendid running straight for hundreds of miles. Some are free ways (high way for fast travelling), which means that there is no charge for using them. On others, called turnpikes, the driver has to pay. There are no crossroads or traffic lights, other roads run either above or underneath the highways, with roads leading up or down to them from either side. A word about taxi. They are sometimes called cabs (Br. E taxi). Most Americans urge you not to take a taxi unless you really have to get somewhere in a hurry, because they are expensive. The drivers are often unusual people. They are either very silent or talk all the time, they are often curious to know about foreigners. An English friend told me a story. When one driver heard my friend came from England, he said: “England! Say, did you meet the Queen?” “No,” my friend replied. “I’ve never met the Queen.” “Did you meet Winston Churchill?” asked the driver. “No,” said my friend again. “Did you meet Raquel Welch? She was ever in England last year.” “No, I’ve never met her either.” replied my friend. “Say,” said the driver, “you did say you came from England, didn’t you?” The driver thought that anybody living in a country as small as England would be sure to meet all the famous English people and all the famous visitors. My friend told me he felt almost ashamed! The sentence “Some buses have an upper and a lower level.”means “Some buses have____.” A. first and second class seats B. two floors, one above the other C. a top and a bottom speed D. a high and a low price What does “It does not always seem to work with such good effect.”mean? It does not always seem to be successful. It always fails to please the passengers. It seems to work in different ways at different time. It seldom has good effect. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE? Trains in America are less expensive than buses but faster. Meals are served on both train and buses. Most Americans often urge you to take a taxi because it is fast. It takes about three and a half days to cross America by bus with short stops for meals. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT TRUE？ Travelling is very quick and easy in America. In America you can buy an airplane ticket and arrange your trip within about 20minutes. The roads are splendid, running straight for hundreds of miles. In the USA, the taxi drivers always keep silent while driving. 5. What is the passage mainly about? A story of travelling in the USA. The transportation of travelling in America. The expenses of travelling in the USA. The tourist attractions in America. Passage twenty-nine Travel First Class Mr. Plummer lived in Winchester, in the South of England. One day, he had to go to London on business, so he bought a second-class return ticket and caught morning train. After spending the day in London, he reached the station during the rush hour, when all the businessmen were going home to the country from their offices in London. The train was already crowded when Mr. Plummer arrived, and he was afraid that he would have to stand. Then he noticed that there were several empty seats in the first-class compartment, and he decided to travel in comfort. He could pay the extra money when the ticket collector came round on the way to Winchester. Mr. Plummer got into a first-class compartment and sat down. There were four other men in the compartment. They all wore dark suits and had the appearance of ordinary, successful businessmen. However, just before the train started, a different kind of person jumped in and sat down. It was a young man who had certainly never worked in an office. Mr. Plummer was surprised to see such a man in a first-class compartment, until he remembered how full the train was. The young man had very long hair, and he wore a bright red T-shirt with a large picture on the front. Two of the other men looked up in silence from their newspapers, then started to read again, but their faces showed clearly what they were thinking. Mr. Plummer decided that he was not the only passenger who was going to pay something extra to the ticket collector. About twenty minutes after the train started, the door opened and the ticket collector came in, Mr. Plummer had the necessary money ready in his hand, and he held it out with the ticket. The ticket collector then turned to the others. One by one, each of the businessmen held out a second-class ticket, and all had to pay the extra money. But the young man sat still, he had no ticket at all? He had. His was the only first-class ticket in the compartment. Mr. Plummer travelled to London ______. A. at rush hour B. in a first-class compartment C. in the evening D. on business Mr. Plummer travelled back to Winchester in the first-class compartment because______. he had bought a first-class ticket he had paid the extra money the train was too crowded he often travelled first-class The last person to get into the first-class compartment was ______. A. Mr. Plummer B. a young man in a T-shirt C. a businessman in a dark suit D. a successful businessman The businessmen in the first-class compartment _______. found it strange that the young man was in a first-class compartment liked the young man thought Mr. Plummer would have to pay extra when the ticket collector came made a lot of money in business According to the passage, which of the following is NOT TRUE? Mr. Plummer thought that the young man didn’t have a first-class ticket. In fact, everyone in the first-class compartment except the young man paid extra when the ticket collector came. The businessmen in the first-class compartment looked down upon the young man. The story happened on the morning train to London. Passage thirty Child Soldiers Fight in Conflicts Worldwide A new report says at least 300000 children are now fighting in wars in more than 40 countries around the world. The Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers released the survey, urging countries to sign and ratify a U.N. treaty barring the use of troops under 18 in combat. Ishmael Beah was 14 when he was recruited by the Sierra Leone army. His parents had already been killed by rebels. The army urged him to join to avenge their deaths. The army offered food and shelter. Ishmael did not want to be a soldier, but he did not have much choice, he said it was either to join, or to die. Ishmael described what it was like when he was sent to the front line as follows. When we got there, there was an ambush, the rebels were attacking where we were in the bush. I did not shoot my gun at first, but when you looked around and saw your schoolmates who were younger than you crying while they were dying and their blood spilling all over you, there was no option but to start pulling the trigger. The coalition says more than one-third of the world’s child soldiers live in Africa, but it is also a growing problem in Asia and in some other regions. European conflicts including those in the Balkans and the Caucasus have also drawn children into battle. Two bright spots are the Middle East and Latin America. The coalition also says one-half million children are at risk of being sent into battle if war breaks out in their countries. Some nations, including Angola and Afghanistan, have recruited children from peaceful neighbouring countries to help fight their civil wars. The report says sending children to the front lines takes a heavy toll of their physical and mental health, for the physical exhaustion is a very, very heavy burden for a small body to actually bear, and girls who are drafted into service are often used as sex slaves, the result of which is that the rise of HIV and AIDS has ominous implications for them. Another concern for the coalition is what the use of child soldiers means for other children. Whenever any children are used in combat, all children in that area become possible targets. Unfortunately, in many of these conflict zones, it is now so common to have units made up specifically of children. They are considered as an object of war, and they are considered as a very, very valid target by the opposition. The report states that the use of child soldiers is not limited to the developing world. Both the United Stated and Britain recruit 17-year-olds into their armed forces, with parental consent. There are teenagers currently serving as U.S. and British peacekeepers in the Balkans- putting them at risk of death before they are old enough to vote. Why did the coalition release the survey? It wanted the whole world to learn about the seriousness of child soldiers. It urges that more and more countries should sign an international treaty to end the use of child soldiers. It wanted to inform the children’s parents where their children were. It aimed at persuading the children not to kill others. Why did Ishmael Beah join the army at such a young age of only 14 years old? He wanted to be a soldier. His parents sent him to the army. He was recruited by the army. He wanted to support himself. Passage thirty-one Life Is Precious, Let Us Not Waste It How many people do you know are willing to lay down their life under another human being? Firemen and policemen will for sure and because of that we hold these people in high regard. The men and women that join our armed forces have this same quality in their character. If you watch the television advertisements for any of the branches of service, you quickly see that adventure is what they are selling. As I look back at my time in the Marines, adventure is not one of the words I search for to describe my time given to my country. Seldom is a soldier called upon to jump up in a hail of bullets to rescue a fallen comrade, but it is never a surprise when it happens. As I write this I think of Sergeant Christianson, who did just that. We were in the mess hall in Dung Ha, South Vietnam and artillery shells started falling right next to the building. Shrapnel was flying through the air, through the metal walls and roof, and we all headed to a large trench outside. Just as I was going to jump in, I saw Sergeant Christianson coming out the door of the mess hall carrying another soldier like a baby. He ran with him over to the trench gently handed this man off to those in the trench. He could have dropped the guy in or he could have jumped in with him, but he took that extra time to safely hand him off. In that next couple of seconds Sergeant Christianson took a piece of shrapnel in the forehead. He lifted up this guy like he weighed nothing, but I am guessing he was 170, maybe 180 pounds. There is no doubt in my mind that even on a good day the Sergeant couldn’t attempt to grab a box or bundle weighing that much and take off at a dead run, but with the help of a strong does of adrenaline, he did it with ease. Not every young American is willing to give their life for a friend and we are very lucky that we are able to find enough men and women with the character needed to do that. Because these people are so very special, it makes it a real crime to send them off to harm’s way, especially now that we know that we didn’t make going to war the last resort. There are only so many people in this nation that have what it takes to give their life for another American. This type of person is precious and we are fools to waste them. Why do people think highly of firemen and policemen? Because they earn a lot of money. Because they are easily to be promoted. Because they are stronger and more powerful than ordinary people. Because they are always ready to protect other people in spite of death. What does a fallen comrade mean? A soldier who fell over. A soldier who was killed in a battle. A soldier who was hurt in a battle. A soldier who was saved. Why didn’t Sergeant Christianson drop the dead soldier nor jump in the trench with the body? Because the body was heavy. Because he was a bit afraid. Because he loved his comrade so much that he thought the soldier was not dead. Because he wanted to show off his bravery. What does this sentence “because these people are so very special, it makes it a real crime to send them off to harm’s way”mean? These people are special because they don’t commit crime. These people are special because they don’t do harm to others. These people are special because they are doing harm to others. These people are special because they are so brave and so lovely and we shouldn’t get them to do anything that is harmful to human beings. In the passage, the author mainly wanted to tell us that _____. America is the most powerful because of these brave soldiers America should start more wars in the world soldiers should be brave war is terrible and man should make peace rather than war Passage thirty-two Economic Growth, Fighting Terrorism Intertwined ------ Bush’s Address at the Pacific Rim Summit in Shanghai Fighting terrorism and boosting economic growth are the main topics at the Pacific Rim Summit in Shanghai, China. President Bush says it is only natural that they are discussed in the same forum. He says the two are interviewed. President Bush is urging APEC leaders to stand with the United States in combating terrorism. “This conflict is a fight to save the civilized world, and values common to the West, to Asia, to Islam,” he said. On the day the summit began, the president was busy making his case not only to heads of state and government, but to top corporate executives as well. It was his only major address during his stay in China, and it focused on lifting the global economy as a means of combating terrorism. He said the great alternative to hate is hope. “We share more than a common enemy,” he said. “We share a common goal: to expand our ties of trade and trust-and now we must seize that opportunity.” The President has said before that terrorists often find their most fervent followers among the poorest of the poor. In his Shanghai speech, Mr. Bush carried that theme a bit further, vowing to build a future of greater trade, economic growth and human dignity. He said the Pacific Rim nations can lead the way. “The Asia-Pacific region provides the world with a model and a choice: Choose openness, trade, and tolerance and you will find prosperity, liberty and knowledge. Choose isolation, envy and resentment, and you will find poverty, stagnation and ignorance,” he said. “Our nations have chosen; we have chosen freedom over fear.” Mr. Bush called the fight against terrorism “the urgent task of our time,” and he warned that terrorists want to undermine Asia’s economic gains. “The stakes of this fight for all nations are high-our lives, our way of life and our economic future. By attacking two great economic symbols the twin towers of the World Trade Centre, the terrorists tried to shatter confidence in the world economic system. But they failed,” he said. President Bush said world markets have proven resilient and fundamentally sound. And the gathering of business and political leaders reacted with long applause when he vowed America will do its part to restore economic momentum for the world. Where was the speech delivered? In Beijing. In Shanghai. In the World Trade Centre. In America. Why did Bush deliver this speech? To pay a private visit to China. To sign some business contracts with China. To win some support for his re-election. To attend the Pacific Rim Summit and call for international cooperation and support to combat terrorism. What are the main topics at the forum? Fighting terrorism. Boosting economic growth. Fighting terrorism and boosting economic growth. Discussing attacking some terrorists. How many speeches did Bush make during his stay in China? A. One. B. Two. C. Three. D. Four. According to Bush, attacking terrorism is to save_____. A. America. B. Asia. C. Islam nation D. the civilized world Passage thirty-three Insurance Life is full of dangers and surprises. Your house may burn down. You may fall out of the window and break your neck. Anything may happen, you never know. You cannot find ways to prevent disasters, but you can insure against them. Most forms of insurance are voluntary. But some forms are compulsory. If you drive a car, for example, you must take compulsory out a third-party insurance policy. The “parties” to an agreement, or contract, are the individuals or groups concerned. With the third-party motor insurance, the three parties are (i) you yourself, (ii) your insurance company, and (iii) anybody else, for example, the man whose Jaguar has just smashed up your Mini. The third-party insurance does not cover fire, theft or anything else. It is intended only to protect road users form each. If you want to insure against all the other terrible things that might happen to you or your car, you can take out a comprehensive policy. Another form of compulsory insurance is National Insurance. Everybody earning money on a regular basis must pay a sum of money to the state. These cover part of the cost of the National Health Service and the other social service benefits, e.g. unemployment benefit (“the dole”), sickness benefit, old-age pensions, industrial injury benefits and so on. There are many insurance companies in Britain, both large and small. But there is also a rather special organization called Lloyd’s, which started at a coffeehouse in the late 17th century. Lloyd’s is a society of around six thousand members, all of whom are underwriters, and is administered by a committee controlled by Act of Parliament. So it is not an insurance company in the normal sense, but an insurance market and you cannot do business with it directly. You have to go to an insurance broker who will then contact a member of Lloyd’s for you. If you want to insure something expensive, like a fleet of jumbo jets, for example, your broker will probably have to contact a syndicate of underwriters because the rises would be too high for one man to cover. Lloyd’s is also an information service. It collects shipping information form all over the world and publishes it daily in the Lloyd’s List and Shipping Gazette. There is also the independently-run Lloyd’s Register of Shipping, which helps to maintain standards of safety and efficiency by publishing information about all the ships in the world over 100 tons. Lloyd’s will probably insure you against any risk at all, provided you are prepared to pay the premiums. Professional pianists sometimes insure their hands. Maybe clowns insure their noses. You never know anything may happen. 1.An insurance for you to decide on whether you take out a policy or not is called a insurance. A. compulsory B. voluntary C. comprehensive D. third-party 2.A person who gets paid on a regular basis must pay a sum of money to the . A. corporation B. National Health Server C. state D. Lloyd’s 3.If you intend to insure against any risk, you can take out a . A. comprehensive policy B. compulsory policy C. fire insurance D. theft insurance 4.Lloyd’s is a society of about 6000 . A. underwriters B. brokers C. syndicates D. insurance 5.The Lloyd’s List and Shipping Gazette is . A. an insurance company B. a daily newspaper C. a voluntary organization D. an information center Passage thirty-four International Finance In many respects international trade isn’t different form trade within a country. People who have more of some goods than trade seek out other people who have something they lack. Through exchange, both parties attempt to make themselves better off. The complications of international trade arise because the two parties use different currencies. (An American who wants to buy a Japanese automobile cannot expect the Japanese manufacturer to accept U.S. dollars in payment, unless the manufacturer happens at the time to want to buy a new computer form an American firm. Otherwise the auto manufacturer will be stuck with money that no shop in Tokyo will accept; in Japan the dollars are useless. Of course, things are rarely as complicated as the last paragraph suggests. In both the United States and Japan there are banks that specialize in buying and selling foreign currencies. The experienced American would never offer dollars to the Japanese. Instead he would go to his bank and purchase Japanese yen with his dollars, then offer yen in payment for the car. Availability of yen would then make trade with Japan no more complicated than buying groceries at a neighbor hood supermarket. But what is the price of yen? This question is more than slightly important. If yen are cheap, Japanese goods will be attractive to Americans, and American goods will be expensive to Japanese buyers. The quantities of goods exchanged between two countries depend on complex forces. Even though unfettered trade might allow the world to consume more, each country is likely to be more concerned about employment and incomes at home than about economist’s assurances of the efficiency of trade. Both countries may therefore try to encourage exports and discourage imports. Obviously, both countries cannot succeed at once. There is another side of the situation for many countries, the developing countries especially. Their ability to import goods in the future may be as important as economic efficiency and full employment at the present. These countries depend on imports of spare parts, equipment, and raw materials to keep their economies operating. Not to have the foreign exchange to buy oil or fertilizer, when the need arises, is a risk they simply cannot afford. For this reason even rich countries try to keep reserves of foreign currencies around. Just as individuals keep savings to meet emergencies, so do nations attempt to maintain hoards of foreign currencies to cover unexpected events. The price of any foreign currency expressed in the local currency (say, dollars) is thus a major issue. And it is closely tied to the need to maintain reserves and the desire to manage certain aspects of the domestic economy. Over the past two centuries, a number of international monetary systems have been set up to deal with these questions. All have proved inadequate. The interests of some countries inevitably conflict with the interests of some countries inevitably conflict with the interests of others, and so the system collapsed. But in spite of its limitations and faults, the international financial system is important to all of us. 1.According to the article, international trade is in many respects. not the same as trade within a country different form domestic trade the same as domestic trade not different as trade in a country 2.According to the second paragraph, if the US dollars cheap goods will be attractive to buyers. A. Japanese, American B. America, Japan C. Japanese, America D. American, Japanese 3.Provided two countries encourage exports and discourage imports, ____at the same time. A. either of them can succeed B. both sides can be successful C. neither party can succeed D. every party cannot get profit 4.Just as a person saves money to meet emergencies, so a country tries to keep reserves of around to cover unexpected events. foreign money B. foreign goods C. domestic currency D. Renminbi 5.The author tells us that there are some limitations and faults in . exchange goods with foreign countries domestic monetary system international financial system reserving foreign currencies Passage thirty-five The World Bank International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, also known as the World Bank, is a specialized and United Nations agency established at the Bretton Woods Conference in 1944. A related institution, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), was created at the same time. The chief objective of the bank is to assist in the reconstruction and development of territories of members by facilitating the investment of capital for productive purposes. The bank grants loans only to member nations for the purpose of financing specific projects. In the early period of the World Bank’s existence, loans were granted chiefly to European countries and were used for the reconstruction of industries destroyed during World War II. Since the late 1960s, however, most loans have been granted to developing countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. In the 1980s the bank gave particular attention to projects that could directly benefit the developing nations by helping them to raise their productivity and to gain access to such necessities as waste-disposal facilities, health care, family-planning assistance, nutrition, education, and housing. Direct involvement of the poorest people in economic activity was being promoted by providing loans for agriculture, rural development, small-scale enterprises, and urban development. The bank was also expanding its assistance to energy development and ecological concerns. The bank’s working funds are derived form sales of its interest-bearing bonds and notes in capital markets of the world, form repayment of earlier loans, and form profits on its own operations. It has earned profits every year since 1947. All powers of the bank are vested in a board of governors, appointed by each member nation. The board meets at least once per year. The governors delegate most of their powers to 21 executive directors, who meet regularly at its central headquarters of the bank in Washington, D.C. Five of the executive directors are appointed by the five member states that hold the largest number of capital shares in the bank. The other 16 directors are elected by the governors from the other member nations and serve 2-year terms. The executive directors are headed by the president of the World Bank, whom they elect for a 5-year term, and who must be neither a governor nor a director. The bank has more than 180 members now. The bank has two affiliates: the International Finance Corporation (IFC), established in 1956; and the International Development Association (IDA), established in 1960. Membership in the bank is a prerequisite for membership in either the IFC or the IDA. All there institutions share the same president and boards of governors and executive directors. IDA is the bank’s concessionary lending affiliate, designed to provide development finance for those countries that don’t qualify for loans at market-based interest rates. All there institutions are legally and financially separate, but the bank and IDA share the same staff; IFC, has its own operating and legal staff, but uses administrative and other services of the bank. Membership in the International Monetary Fund is a prerequisite for membership in the World Bank and its affiliates. 1.At the Bretton Woods Conference in 1944 was (were) established. A. the World Bank and the United Nations the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development the International Monetary Fund both B and C 2.The main purpose of the World Bank is . A. to help poor nations in their reconstruction and development B. to help the reconstruction and development of the countries damaged during World War II C. to help its member nations with their reconstruction and development projects D. to facilitate investment of capital for productive purposes 3.The executive directors are led by of the World Bank. A. governor B. director C. board D. president 4.The IDA was founded . A. in the early 1960s B. in the late 1960s C. less than 40 years ago D. since 1960 5.The World Bank and IFC have their own working and legal staff, . A. but share the same services B. and use different services C. are illegally and financially separate D. but share the different presidents Passage thirty-six It was the last day of final examination in a large Eastern University. On the steps of one building, a group of engineering seniors huddled, discussing the exam due to begin a few minutes. On their faces was confidence. This was their last exam before their graduation and before they went their jobs. Some talked of jobs they already had; other of jobs they would get. With all this assurance of four years of college study, they felt ready and able to conquer the world. The approaching exam, they knew, would be a piece of cake. The professor had said they could bring any books or notes they wanted, requesting only that did not talk to each other during the test. Happily, they entered the classroom. The professor passed out the papers. And their smiles broadened as the students noted there were only five essay-type questions. Three hours passion no loner looked confident. On their faces was a frightened expression, no one spoke as the professor faced the class with the papers in her hand. She surveyed the worried faces before her, and then asked: “how many completed all five questions?” Not a hand was raised. “How many answered four?” Still no hands. “Three? Two?” The students shifted restlessly in their seats. “one, then? Certainly somebody finished one.” But the class remained silent. The professor put down the papers. “that is exactly what I expected,” she said. “I just want to impress upon you that, even though you have completed four years of engineering, there are still many things about the subject you don’t know. These questions you could not answer are relatively common in everyday practice,” then, smiling, she added: “you will all pass this course, but remember that even though you are now collage graduates, your education has just begun.” The tears have obscured the name of this professor, but not the lesson she taught. Choose the best answer according to the passage. 1. On the steps of one building, the engineering seniors were waiting _____. A. for their graduation and jobs B. for their last exam C. for the professor to come D. to have a discussion of their future 2. The professor said they could ___ during the exam. A. bring any books or notes they wanted B. talk to each other C. bring any books or notes and talk to each other D. bring nothing to the classroom 3. When the professor collected the papers, the students were frightened because ____. the professor looked terrible they were afraid that they couldn’t pass the exam the professor said they couldn’t pass the exam they might not do the future job well 4. Hoe many questions did they finish?_____ A. Five B. Four C. Three D. None 5. The professor wanted to tell her students that ____ they shouldn’t go to work, instead they should continue their education at collage the engineering the students studied at college was useless the students didn’t work hard at college, so they must go on studying after graduation even though they had studied engineering for four years, three was still more for though them to learn about the subject Passage thirty-seven In 34 years of college teaching I’ve taught and advised many freshmen, probably several thousand of them. Often the prospective newcomers visit the campus with their families, before class begin. Our college insists that the faculty be available during these visits, to help the students choose a major. The parents always ask most of the questions. They want to be sure that their kids are away from home and that they will have a job after four years. This is a perfectly normal parental concern. If the students don’t ask many question, I ask them a question: “what is the most important ant thing you’ll learn in college?” regardless of what they say, I usually suggest a different answer : “you’ll learn to get out of bed in the morning without relying on your mother to wake you up and make your breakfast. This answer always draws a laugh from the parents. Then I tell the students that college is just like a job, except that you don’t get paid. In fact, you pay for the privilege. You’re paying for the breakfast and the classed, or you can’t go to class if you’re in bed, and your roommates won’t care if you turn off the alarm clock and go back to sleep. Regular attendance and regular study are two most prevalent factors in college success, just as punctuality and diligence are crucial to most future careers, when employers call me to ask about a former student, the first question they usually ask is whether the student was punctual and reliable. Only later, if at all, do they ask about the student’s grades or extracurricular activities. Woody Allen once said that the most important thing in life is to show up. Humor aside, this is certainly true of college. But classes are not the only places where the student should show up. Friendships and extracurricular activities are also important, and it’s a financial reality that many students need to have part-time jobs. The key is to balance all these elements in your life, and never lose sight of your academic goals. They should always come first. There are 168 hours in a week. It’s hard to spend more than half of that time eating and sleeping, so there are still almost 100 hours for other things. Except for the hours in class, the student decides how to spend most of that time. The quality of these decisions is the key to the college experience. Students with bad habits or irresponsible friends often let those habits or friends make the decisions for them. This doesn’t mean that college is no fun. In fact it’s lots of fun if you learn to balance work and pleasure, or even to mix them together. There’s plenty of time for both. But not if you stay in bed until noon, miss your breakfast, and miss your morning classes. Then you’ll spend the rest day trying to catch up, borrowing classmates’ notes, and eating unhealthy snack foods. Your mother would be very angry. Choose the best answer according to the passage. 1. What do the parents usually concern about? Their kids are safe away from home Their kids will have a job after four years The parents instead of the students ask most of the questions Both A and B 2. According to the author, what might be the students ’answer to his question except____? studying the major well trying to play as much as possible making friends who would be helpful preparing for further study after graduation 3. According to the author, which of the following is not true? Students should learn to be punctual Students should learn to make decisions efficiently Students don’t have to study, since it’s not important D. Students should get out of bed in the morning by themselves 4. Where can the students “show up”? A. In classes B. In terms of friendships C. In extracurricular activities D. All of the above 5. The passage is mainly telling us____ what to learn in college and how to spend the college life how to prepare for future job what parents can do to help their children succeed in college it’s useless for parents to worry about their children Passage thirty-eight Eating Manners in Britain A popular saying in UK is “manners makes man.” In Britain, even today, people are judged by their table manners, especially when eating out or attending formal function. There are certain ways you should behave and certain niceties to observe on formal occasions. Your napkin should always be placed on your lap. In some of the more exclusive restaurants the waiter will place your napkin on your lap for you. The fork is held in the left hand, the knife in the right to cut food and to help carry food to the fork. There is no shifting of cutlery. If you are at dinner party, wait until your host or hostess starts eating or indicates you should do so. Chew and swallow all the food in your mouth before taking more or talking a drink. Soup should be spooned away from you. You may use a piece of bread on a fork to soak up saucer gravy. Never hold the bread in your fingers to do this. Only clear consommé should be drunk directly from the soup bowl, and then only if it has handles. You may eat chicken and pizza with your fingers if you are at a barbecue, finger buffet or very informal setting. Otherwise always use a knife and fork. If anything isn’t directly in front of you, ask for it to be passed and don’t reach across the table. Always pass to the right. Initiate the passing of rolls, butter, and condiments even if you do not want any. Pass jugs gravy boats etc. with the handle toward the recipient. Please do not blow on hot food or drink; never mash or mix food on your plate and do not sip from a coffee spoon or teaspoon. When you finish eating, soup spoons, coffee spoons should be placed on the side plate or saucer, never leave them in the bowl, cup etc. Do not push your plate away or stack your dishes. You can place your utensils side by side in the middle of your plate, fork tines down, knife to the right , sharp blade turned inward toward the fork. Keep your napkin in your lap until you leave the table place it in loose fold at the left side of your plate, never on top of the plate. It is nice to take a gift such as chocolate or flowers for the host and hostess if you’re invited to someone’s home for meals. And a thank-you not or telephone call after the visit is also considered appropriate. Choose the best answer according to the passage. 1. It is implied in the first paragraph that ____in Britain. there are some ways you should behave on formal occasions people like the man with good manners people attach great importance to the table manners there are great many eating manners 2. Which is not true according to the description of knives in the passage? They should be held in the right hand . They can be shifted in the left hand. They are used to cut food. They can help carry food to the fork. 3. ____is can be done on formal functions. To hold the bread in one’s fingers to soak up sauce or gravy. To reach across the table to get the butter dish To blow on hot food or drink To spoon the soup away from you 4. You should place ____when finishing eating. the spoon on the side plate or saucer the utensils side by side in the middle of the plate the serviette in loose fold at the left side of the plate both A, B and C 5.The author mainly shows us ____ the table manners that we should behave and pay attention to how to use knives and forks how to pass the things at table how to place utensils when finishing eating Passage thirty-nine Customs and Cultures You may come upon Americans who lack knowledge about other countries. If so, be patient with them. Unfortunately, we do not teach enough about other cultures, customs, or even geography in our school; we have always been so insulated by oceans that we are not readily exposed to different cultures and other ways of doing things. If Americans try to help you with something totally familiar to you, if they comment on your country with another thousands of miles away, be patient. This huge continent has been developed from virgin land into the modern dynamo in about three hundred years. Because our people have come from so many nationalities, there is a far wider range of what is “acceptable” than in some other countries. As a result, no one needs to feel uncomfortable in following his or her own customs. Although Americans are noticeably informal, if you prefer somewhat greater formality, feel free to do so. This will be acceptable to those around you. Each person can “do his own thing” and be respected here to a very large extent. Conversational questions may seem to you both too personal and too numerous—especially when you first arrived. “Where do you work?” “Are you married?” “How many children do you have?” are not personal questions by American standards. They are a search for common ground to build a relationship or base a conversation on. Understand that such questions are meant to be friendly, the questioner is interested in you, he or she is not prying or impolite, or at least is not deliberately so. The whole matter of names is a “culture shock’ to many people. Americans have a minimum feeling for “rank”, especially socially. Most do not enjoy being treated with special respect for age or position. It makes them uncomfortable. Many Americans find even the terms “Mr.” “Mrs.”, stiff and formal. you hear people well beyond middle age say----even to quite young people---“just cal me Sally (or Henry or Don)”. Being on first-name term is taken as a sign of acceptance and friendliness. However, this need not bother you. Many American find silence uncomfortable. They will babble on to fill any quietness if it’s more than a moment. Students often study with their radio on; housewives leave televisions on for the “companionship”. If you are silent for long periods, they will do their best to “draw you out “or will ask if you feel all right or if there is anything they can do to help you. One aspect of silence can be confusing, however, if Americans disagree with what you are saying, many of them will remain quiet. This may not indicate agreement, often it only means that they consider it impolite tom argue further. Choose the bet answer according to the passage. 1. Which is not the reason mentioned in the text American don’t have enough knowledge about other countries? D A. They haven’t got much knowledge of other cultures and customs at school. B. They haven’t got much knowledge of geography at school. C. The geographical character brings them the difficulties to know about other countries. \ D. They don’t like this sort of knowledge at all. 2.What is NOT TRUE about Americans according to the passage? A They keep quite when they agree with you. They may sometimes confuse your country with another thousands of miles away. They may have poor knowledge about other cultures. They like you to call them by their first names. 3.These questions are acceptable by Americans EXCEPT “ A ” How much money can you earn a year? How many children do you have? Where do you work? Are you married? 4.Many American people will usually feel comfortable if you C . address them by their social titles always keep silence during the conversation respect their own way to deal with things ask about their ages 5.What can you NOT learn from the passage? B Americans prefer being called by their first name. A soft or weak handshake is viewed negatively by most people in the U.S. Many Americans are talkative in conversation. If Americans disagree with you, they may keep silence. Passage forty Schwarzenegger Saves Stricken Swimmer in Hawaii The brawny film hero and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger became a real life hero when he saved a stricken swimmer from possibly drowning off the coast of Hawaii. Schwarzenegger-used to save people from terrible fates in his Hollywood films-found a man in trouble off the coast of the lush is land where he was enjoying a weeklong family holiday, and stepped in to save him on Wednesday. “He saw a man in trouble in the water and brought him back to the shore,” one person remembered to say later. “The man was hanging onto a board and the governor knew there was something wrong and asked the governor knew there was something wrong and asked the man if he was OK. The swimmer said he had cramps all over and couldn’t swim back to shore, so the governor told him to hang on and swan him 100 meters back to the beach.” The 56-year-old Austrian-born action film icon had been at the beach with his television reporter wife Maria Shriver and his four children when he went off for a swim. He made his dramatic rescue while treading water in 20-foot (six-meter) deep ocean off the tourist island, picking the man up out of the water, putting him on the board and paddling him back to shore. It was reported that the governor sat with the man on the beach for a while before telling him to “sit here for another thirty minutes”. The swimmer was reportedly well and thanked his rescuer before both resumed their holidays. Schwarzenegger gave up his film career after being elected governor of the most populous U.S. state last October. The governor’s Hawaiian holiday that began on April 2, gave him a chance to relax after months of battling to win political and popular support for his plans to beat the state’s economic woes. Choose the best answer according to the passage: 1.As a politician, Arnold Schwarzenegger has been elected B . A. Hawaii Governor B. California Governor C. Ohio Governor D. the U.S. President 2.When Schwarzenegger found a stricken swimmer in water, he A . and his family were taking their holidays there went there for some business was just ready to leave there for California was meeting his old friend and having a long talk with him 3.Schwarzenegger was born in D and at that time he was . A. America…58 years old B. Australia…56 years old C. Africa…50 years old D. Austria…56 years old 4.After being saved, what did the swimmer do? D He said nothing and left soon. He was sent to hospital and died soon. He thanked Schwarzenegger and was badly wounded. He thanked Schwarzenegger and there was nothing with his health. 5.The author mainly tell us C . Schwarenegger is just a good actor saving the swimmer brought him a lot of money he is a real life hero like he used to be in his films if he wasn’t Governor, he couldn’t save the man Passage forty-one Anna Pavlova “I’m here to give you a message, sir,” Anna Pavlova said. “Thank you,” replied the Headmaster. She walked over to his desk. Looking up, he found her quite nervous. “Oh, Little Pavlova, you aren’t a new student, are you?” he added. Anna held her head high, which still made her look far younger than her fifteen years. “I have been at this ballet school for almost five years,” she said proudly. The Headmaster liked the way she talked. A red ballet shoe on the table caught her eye. “That is Taglioni’s shoe. I’m sorry there’s nobody who can wear it today. Her feet were tiny and perfect,” he said. Taglioni! The greatest dancer of all time! The name sent an unusual feeling though her. He looked at her shining eyes. Then he asked, “How would you like to try it on?” As in a dream. She put on the red shoe. “Why, it fits perfectly!” he said happily, “Little Pavlova, I’ve seen you dance. You are very good. Go on working hard.” The voice of the Headmaster rang in her mind. “You are very good!” And she had worn Tagliono’s shoe! She, little Anna Pavlova, was going to be a great dancer. She had known this in her heart since she was a little girl, dancing as soon as she walked, always dancing. Dancing was Anna’s life! One day, she would show the beauty of ballet to the world. This was the dream for which she worked so hard and lived her life. After graduation from the ballet school, she soon became the best dancer in Russia. But her greatest contribution to ballet came later, when she began to dance outside of Russia. Her great dancing took her all over the world and produced a love of ballet everywhere she went. 1.Anna Pavlova went to the ballet school when she was C . A. fifteen years old B. only five years old C. about the years old D. a middle school student 2.The Headmaster gave Taglioni’s red shoe to her because D . maybe it would fit her perfectly he liked her very much he though she would be a good dancer all the above 3.Soon she became the famous dancer in the world because B . she wore Taglioni’s red shoe she worked very hard the Headmaster made her have a dream she was a Russian 4.”Dancing was Anna’s life” means A . she loved dancing very much and spent much time on it she earned much money by dancing she did nothing else except dancing she lived in a big house named “dancing” 5.From the last sentence of the passage, we know that after watching her dancing B . every girl should study ballet more people loved the beauty of ballet one should study ballet only in Russia if you can dance, you may tour allover the world Passage forty-two I’ll Call you “ Fancy a drink tonight?” “Uh, how about I call you when I get to the city and we’ll work something out.” “Round about 9 p.m.?” “I’ll call you.” Restaurant owners, hairstylists and friends of the unpunctual have suspected it, but now research is providing evidence: as mobile phones have become more prevalent so too have lateness and unwillingness for people to commit themselves. Researchers who study the effect of mobile phones on society talk of “soft time”, a bubble in which expectations of where and when to meet shift constantly because people expect others to be constantly reachable. Eight-thirty is still eight o’clock as long as your voice arrives on time, or even a few minutes after to advise that you will not be wherever you are supposed to be at the appointed hour. You can call your friends at the last minute and things just happen. It can all change. “It’s the main way I catch up with my friends.” Says publicist Greta Donaldson. “Things change so quickly and you can’t be tied to a desk, waiting for people to call you back. For my social life? I use it a lot. I tale all the time.” To some, the flexibility provided by mobile phones has improved social relations and reduced the stresses of lives that are increasingly busy. Today we have a much more fluid situation when it comes to time. The concept of a deadline is not a fixed concept any more when you are on the move. For businesses, this “soft time” has pros and cons. Somebody always rings to say they’re five minutes away, when they are due for their appointment. Roger Fowler, manager of a restaurant, says some customers enjoy the convenience of their mobile, but the restaurant is now able to contact errant dinners much more easily, too. “Now we can call on mobiles and check that people are arriving or not’” says Fowler. “It makes life smoother. Plus, we get impulse bookings where people ring to see if we’ve got a table and say, they’re five minutes away. We pick up a lot of extra business like that.” James E.Katz, a professor of communications, has studied thousands of mobile phone users and he argues that mobile phone has changed the nature of time and relationships. “it has erased the meaning of being late,” he says. “Just by calling and changing the plan, you’re able to change being late to being on time.” Arriving late for a dinner booking is only the beginning. Career coaches in the US say will be late for an interview. Day-care centers say parents who used to be on time regularly phone to say they will be late picking up their children, and psychotherapists report that more people are showing up late for appointments, wasting time at $3 a minute 1. What do mobile phones bring? lateness and unwillingness for people to commit themselves. Soft time Impulse bookings to restaurants. All of the above. 2. Why are people always changing when and where to meet each other while they are using mobile phones? Because people like to do it all the time. Because “soft time” makes people always expect others to be constantly reachable. Because of people’s laziness. Because people always have a lot to do. 3. Why does Greta Donaldson use his mobile phone a lot? Because he loves to play the game on his mobile phone. Because his mobile phone is very expensive and fashionable. Because his friends always ask him to chat with then on his mobile phone Because the flexibility provided by his mobile phone has improved his social relations and made him do his work well. 4. What does the statement “Just by calling and changing the plan, you’re able to change being late to being on time”? if you’re late and change the plan, your mobile phone can help you to be on time. If you’re late and change the plan, your mobile phone can be on time instead of you. If you’re late and change the plan, you just call others as though you were on time. If you’re late and change the plan, you will meet others first and then call them on time. Passage forty-three Telecoms The communications explosion is on the scale of the train, car or telephone revolution. Very soon you’ll be able to record your entire life electronically—anything a microphone or a camera can sense you’ll be able to store. In particular, the number of pictures a person takes in a lifetime is sure to rise camera are all precious to me. In a generation’s time, my children’s children will have total picture documentation of their entire lives—a visual log of great personal value. By then we’ll be trying to solve another problem: how we control all the electronic devices connected to Internet: trillions of PCs, laptops, cell phones and other gadgets. In Cambridge, we’ve been working on millimeter-square computing and sensing devices that can be linked to the internet through the radio network. This sort of connectivity will expand rapidly as microscopic communications devices become dirt-cheap and multiply. Just imagine what the paint on the wall could do if it had this sort of communications dust in it: change color, play music, show movies or even speak to you. Falling costs raise other possibilities too. Because launching space vehicles is about to become very much cheaper, the number of satellites is likely to go up greatly. There’s lots of space up there so we could have millions of them. And if you have millions of low-orbit satellites you can establish a global communications network that completely does away with towers and masts. Speech is so flexible that I expect voice communication to become almost free eventually: you’ll pay just a monthly fixed charge and be able to make as much as you want. By then people will also have fixed links with business contacts, friends and relatives. One day I anticipate being able to keep in touch with my family in Poland on a fibreoptic audiovideo link; we’ll be able to have a little ceremony at suppertime, open the curtains and sit down “together” to eat. Cars are an interesting IT-platform because they have big batteries and lots of so far unconnected digital. Soon each one will be an entity on the Internet so your children can play interactive game while you’re traveling and your parents can deal with their e-mails. And every lamppost could be on the Internet too---each one with sensors to monitor light, pollution, air quality and traffic flow. In what does a visual log mainly play a part according to the first paragraph? Keeping some wonderful music, Keeping total picture documentation for a person’s entire life. Storing some long TV programs. Storing some scenery pictures taken in some beautiful places. What could NOT the paint on the wall do if it had the communication dust in it? A. To listen to you and reply you B. To show you some films. C. To play your favorite music. D. To receive your written letters. What can we possibly benefit form falling costs of communications? We can establish a global communications network without towers and masts. We will travel around the world if we world like to. We will pay nothing when we give other people phone calls. We will pay much more for cell phones that can bring us much more advantages in using. Why dose the author expect voice communication to become almost free eventually? Because of the communications explosion. Because of falling costs of communications. Because speech is very flexible. All of the above. According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT TURE? The communications explosion is on a large scale. Falling costs of communications makes everything possible. Communications will be much more convenient and cheaper. Cars will be entities on the Internet as an IT-platform Passage forty-four Our Changing Diet What do most Americans and Canadians usually eat? Many people think that the typical North American diet consists of fast food—hamburgers, hot dogs, French fries, pizza, fried chicken, and so on. They think American and Canadians also eat a lot of convenience foods, usually frozen or canned, and junk food—candy, cookie, potato chips, and other things without much nutritional value. Unfortunately, this description is not totally inaccurate. The American diet is generally high in sugar, salt, fat, and cholesterol, and these substances can cause health problems. However, some people’s eating habits are changing. They are becoming more interested n good health, and nutrition is an important part of health. North Americans are eating less red meat and fewer eggs, and they are eating more chicken and fish. Chicken and fish contain less fat than red meat and eggs. Many people are also buying more fresh vegetables and eating them raw or cooked quickly in very little water in order to keep the vitamins. Restaurant menus are also changing to reflect people ‘s growing concern with good nutrition. The “typical” North American diet now includes food from many different countries. More ethnic food restaurants are opening in big cities in the United States and Canada. Foods from China , Japan, Korea, Thailand, India and the middle East are very popular. Even fast food places now offer “lean” (low-fat ) hamburgers, broiled or roasted (instead of fried) chicken, and salad bars with a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. How are we going to eat in the future? Because we now know about the importance of nutrition, we will probably continue to eat more fish and vegetables and less red meat. We will still buy convenience foods in supermarkets, but frozen foods may have les salt and sugar. Our junk food will not be “junk” at all because instead of candy bars we will eat “nutrition bars” with a lot of vitamins and protein. In the future, our diet will probably be even more interesting and healthful than it is now. In the United States and Canada, food is a very common topic of conversation. People are always discussing new dishes, restaurants, diet plans, and ideas abou6t nutrition. The arguments about the best diets and foods will continue: Are vegetables better than a diet of cooked foods? Is a little alcohol good for relaxation, or is all alcohol harmful? Is some caffeine good for energy, or is caffeine always bad? Can yellow vegetables really prevent cancer/ will eating garlic help avoid heart attracks? One thing we do know for sure: The key to good nutrition is balance. How do we achieve that balance? We can choose foods from a variety of sources, control the quantities that we eat, limit fats, and exercise. Choose the best answer according to the passage. 1. What do people think of North American diet in the first paragraph? They pay too much attention to nutritional value. They eat a lot of convenient foods, like frozen or canned food, and junk food without much nutritional value. The American diet is generally high in sugar , salt fat, and cholesterol. They eat more vegetables than meat. 2. Why do North Americans eat more chicken and fish? Because chicken and fish contain more fat. Because chicken and fish contain less fat. Because chicken and fish contain vitamin. Because chicken and fish are delicious. 3. Food from which countries are very popular in the United States and Canada? A. China; Japan: Italy; France. B. Thailand; India. C. China; Japan; Korea and Middle East. D. Both B and C. 4. What will American’s diet probably be? A. Nutritious and higher in sugar. B. Nutritious and less vitamin. C. Nutritious and interesting. D. Nutritious and unhealthful. 5. What does the author advise us to do to keep balance? To eat garlic. To drink little alcohol and coffee. To eat yellow vegetables. D. To choose food from a variety of source, control the quantities, limit fats, and exercise. Passage forty-five Dinner in Britain In Britain, the invitation to a formal dinner will state a time, and either have R.S.V.P or “ Regrets only” at the end with an address or telephone number. The reason for this is so that the host or hostess knows how many people to order food for and set a place at the table. When you arrive, you are greeted by the host. If you know your host quite well, you take a bunch of fresh flowers or a box of chocolates to your host as you greet them. You will then be offered a drink, either alcoholic, and you walk around meeting other guests, sometimes being introduced to people you don’t know by your host or by a mutual friend, or introducing yourself. When the host thinks everyone has arrived, you arre invited to go to the table and be seated. Often the seating has been arranged and you look for your name on a place-setting. Formal dinner arrangements try to invite equal numbers of men and women. You wait stanfing behind your chair in case your host wishes to begin with a toast, depending on the occasion, which you drink while standing. Your host will tell you to “Be seated”. It is polite for the men to wait for the women to be seated first and to pull the chair out for the woman next to you if you are a man. The food comes in courses and is served to you form the left. Wine and water is poured for you right unless it is on the table for you to help yourself. Always offer to fill someone else’s glass before filling your own up. You wait to eat until your host is seated and has started to eat first as a signal for everyone to begin eating. After each course, the plates are cleaned away and you wait until the people around you are also served before eating the next course. You use each set of spoon, knife and fork from the outside. Dessert may be followed by cheese and fruit. There may be after dinner speeches and you always need to make sure that your glass has some wine or water left in it to drink any toast that is proposed. After that, coffee and liqueurs may be served at the table or you may be invited to go to another room to sit in comfortable chairs to take coffee and liqueurs. You talk to the people round about at the table or in groups of your own choosing in the sitting room. Guests often leave about an hour to two hours after eating. You say goodbye to other friends before you find your host to thank them for the evening. Your host will usually be with you at the door to see you out. The next day you either phone or write and post a short note thanking your hosts for a pleasant evening and saying how much you enjoyed it. Choose the best answer according to the passage. According to the passage, what can you bring as a dinner gift for the host if you know the host very well? A. A bunch of flowers. B. A box of chocolates C. A bottle of liquor D. Both A and B Which of the following manners is proper in a formal dinner? You’d better wait standing behind your chair in case the host wants to begin with a toast. The women should wait fir the men to be seated first. You can eat without waiting for the host to be seated. You may take any seat you like. Which of the following statements is TRUE? The food comes in courses and is served to you from the right. When you are seated, you can start to eat. Dessert may be served after cheese and fruit. You’d better make sure that your glass has some wine or water left in it. After dinner, if you want to with people, you can____ make a speech go out with them without telling anyone chat in groups of your own choosing Both B and C What should you do the next day? Phone to thank your host for a pleasant evening. Write to thank the host and offer a dinner for them in return Post a short note to say how much you enjoyed it. Both A and C Passage forty-six The Castaway The story of Robinson Crusoe is known throughout the English speaking world. The book, by Daniel Defoe, is based on real-life events which happened to a man called Alexander Selkirk. Selkirk was shipwrecked near South America, and had to spend four years on a diet island before being rescued. In Defoe’s novel, Crusoe survived the shipwreck by holding on to a piece of wood. The sea carried him ashore on to a small island. Crusoe was sure of being found before long; but he thought that he might need to wait several weeks. So he took some wood and guns from the wrecked ship. He managed to light a fire, and he built himself a cave to live in, with a wooden fence around it. He began to hunt and fish. Gradually, he despaired of being rescued, as no ships passed his island. But he still kept a calendar, so that he knew the date. He became very cleave at making things with his hands, and he decided to try to make a boat. But he found that he could not travel far in it. Then after living on the island for fifteen years, Crusoe had a sudden shock. He was walking along the shore, when he saw a man’s footprint in the sand. Instead of feeling pleased, Crusoe was anxious. He discovered ashes from a fire and human bones; and he realized that the men who had visited the island were cannibals. He became worried about being attacked by them. A long time later, he saw some natives land in a boat. They were armed with spears; and they had prisoners with them. Crusoe was afraid of being seen; but he crept as close to the men as he dared. Then he noticed that one of the prisoners had managed to escape. He rushed out and fired his gun. The men ran to their boats, and rowed away, leaving the prisoner behind. Crusoe took the man back to his cave. The man was very grateful for being saved; he stayed with Cruse and worked with him on the island. Crusoe called him Friday, because he had rescued him on a Friday. In the end, Crusoe was taken home by a ship which came past. He settled down in England again, after being away for thirty-five years. The real castaway, Alexander Selkirk, did not adapt so well. He never recovered from his lonely and hard life on the island. He avoided other people for the rest of his life. Choose the best answer according to the passage. 1.Crusoe was not drowned in the shipwreck because C . he was good at swimming he was saved by someone he held on to a piece of wood he repaired the ship very quickly 2.He got food A . by hunting and fishing by planting from the natives all of the above 3.Before he saw the footprint, Crusoe had lived on the island for_____. several weeks four years fifteen years thirty-five years 4. Crusoe knew that people who visited the island were cannibals because____. he saw them eating a man someone had told him about it. he imagined that they would be such men he discovered human bones 5. At last Crusoe was taken home____. by a ship which he made by himself by a ship which came past by a ship which Friday made by a ship which came on purpose to save him Passage forty-seven The Story Of Thanksgiving Day Many American holidays are from Europe because many of the people who settled in north American came from there,. They brought their holiday with them new world. Thanksgiving day, however, is truly an American holiday. It started in American. The first thanksgiving day was in 1621 in a place known as Massachusetts. The pilgrims were a group of people from England. They sailed to American on a boat named the Mayflower. They left England because of religious reasons. In England hey couldn’t follow their religion in the way they wanted, so they wanted to settle in a new world. The pilgrims arrives in the new world in the winter of 1620. soon after the settlers arrives, .Squanto, an Indian, came to them. He showed them how to build houses for the winter, but first mouths were very difficult because the was very cold. The settles did not have much food. Nearly half of them died in that first winter. Then in the spring, Squanto showed the settles how to plant corn, an American grain. He showed them how to catch the fish in the streams. The settles also planted European grains and peas that they had brought with them. In the summer and fall the settles had plenty to eat. They were very thankful to God and to the Indian Squanto for his help. The pilgrims had a feast to celebrate and to show their thanks. They invited Massoit, the chief of the Wapanoag Indians, who lived nearby. He brought 90 Indian men with him. The pilgrims prepared corn, duck, goose, berries, and fish. The Indians brought meat. The celebration lasted three days. This celebration is now a tradition. Every tear on the fourth Thursday of November, people in the unites states celebrate thanksgiving. On this day, families came together or a traditional dinner. This dinner usually consists of roast turkey, cranberry sauce, and vegetables. The vegetables are often corn, squash, or sweet potatoes. These are vegetables that the early American settles grew in their first years in American. The pilgrims hunted wild turkeys in the forests of new England and cranberries grew wild there, too. Desserts on thanksgiving day is usually pumpkin pie, made from another American plant. This is a day for families. Parents, children, grandparents, aunts and uncles celebrate together. Today, when American live from their families, people often celebrate with friends. Family often invite friends who live alone to have a dinner with them. It is a time for American to give thanks, to be with their families and friends, and to remember the early settles of their country and the Indian who helped them. Choose the best answers according to the passage. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT TRUE? thanksgiving day is from Britain. Thanksgiving day is truly American holiday. the first thanksgiving day was celebrate in a place named Massachusetts. It was the pilgrims who first celebrate thanksgiving The mayflower is ______ the name of a flower that the pilgrims took with them the name of a holiday that was celebrated in May. The name of a boat on which the pilgrims sailed to America. The name of an Indian that helped the pilgrims. the pilgrims left England for the U.S.A because______. they had been looking forward to returning to their homeland they loved America they couldn’t follow their religion in their way in England they were tired of living in England Only half of the pilgrims survived the first winter because_____. the winter was very cold they had no houses to live in they didn’t have much food both A and C The passage is mainly about ______. why the pilgrims left for America how the pilgrims arrived in America how the Indian helped the pilgrims how Thanksgiving Day came into being Passage forty-eight Up-to-date Net Aid For many people who do not have easy access to a TV for this World Cup, the Internet has been a savior. Richard Eoin Nash, a 30-year-old writer, cannot watch most of the games at his apartment in New Yoke, U.S, because he doesn’t have cable television. So Nash depends almost completely on the Internet to follow the Cup’s daily events. Nash has fast Internet access to many online services devoted to following the Cup. His favorite is a program on espnsoccernet that provides quick updates and written commentaries. Nash is hardly alone in searching the Internet to keep up with the month-long competition. For an international game like football, the Web is a fan’s dream. People who live overseas often use the Net to read about what is happening in their home country and to keep in touch with family and friends. They also can follow their national team though native sites. Discussion groups allow people to exchange opinions. There are many World Cup discussion groups, talking in detail about things like the behaviour of Rivaldo. The Brazilian star admitted that he had been acting when he fell to the ground, seemingly in a lot of pain, after a player from turkey kicked the ball at him. The chatter does not simply bring together those who share the same opinions; it often includes arguments. “there’s an international community here, ready to argue about everything,” said Chris Horymski, a magazine researcher based in Manhattan, US. He took a week off work to follow the World Cup. Before people visit sites like ESPN’s, many stop at www.google.com or other search engines that provide links to the latest reports on the World Cup. Eileen Rodriguez, a spokeswoman for Google in California, US, said the Cup had caused a surprising rise in football-related searches. In China, www.sina.com.cn, for example, updates its online news every minute. Second after France was beaten by Denmark 0-2, people could read the news online. By the way, don’t forget official website of FIFA. Reading Comprehension Choose the best answer according to the passage. 1.Richard can’t enjoy most of the games of the Word Cup because_____. A. he has no enough time B. he has no TV set C. he has no cable television D. he has fast Internet access 2.People who live in a foreign country can use the net no____. read about what is happening in their home country keep in touch with family follow their national team though native sites all above In a chatroom on Internet, you can____. share the same and different opinions not talk about other things except football only express different opinion only share the same opinion Rivaldo____ after a player from Turkey kicked the ball at him. was acting in a play pretended to fall to the ground in order to make the opponents break the rule was knocked down by the kick couldn’t tolerate the pain This passage is mainly about____. the development of the Internet watching football matches Internet is very helpful for people to watch football matches The behavior of Rivaldo Passage forty-nine Third Wave of Dangerous Bug Arrives A new Internet worm, the Bagle B, started spreading itself around the world last week. Experts ranked it the third most dangerous computer bug ever after the notorious Sobig F and Mydoom A. By early last Wednesday, it had been found in 66 countries and had an infection rate of one in every 16 e-mails worldwide. The bug in-stalls a backdoor function on infected computers. That allows its creator and hackers to access the machines for malicious purposes, such as stealing confidential information, or passwords, analysts have said. Fortunately, experts expect that the outbreak will fizzle out soon, maybe this week. But, no one can let out a sigh of relief at this moment, while the nightmare of a computer epidemic still haunts us. Experts called 2003 “the Year of the Worm”. According to a 2003 China Online Security Research Report released by Research, a Chinese Internet research center, nearly 87 percent of the domestic computers were infected with some kind of virus last year. And about one in four respondents have said that their computers were attacked at least every three months. Some experts have estimated that the worldwide cost of the virus attacks in 2003, including clean-up and lost productivity, amounted to at least U.S.$82 billion. In late January, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security launched its National Cyber Alert System to fight the problem. Experts and non-experts can sign up with the system for e-mail alerts about the latest computer threats. In a day, the site had received more than 1 million hits, according to officials, and in less than a week it had 250,000 subscribers. Last week, Microsoft released a compact disc filled with the latest security upgrades te has come up with since October to defend against viruses. Although this is a global war, one that seems no easier to fight than the one against bird flu, computer hacking is dismissed by one expert as primarily the antics of hormone-crazed teenaged boys. “We’ve got a pretty good idea of the profile-a lot of it is just young guys. They’re just not mature yet, and they do what young guys do-they cause trouble. It’s that simple,” says Dorothy Dennings, a professor at the Naval Post-Graduate School in California. Reading Comprehension Choose the best answer according to the passage. 1.Which virus is the most dangerous computer bug? A. Sobig F. B. Bagle B. C. Mydoom A. D. Antaly B. 2.The Bagle. B can allow its creator and hackers to _____. go into your computer for good purposes steal confidential information or passwords help you get rid of viruses repair your computer 3.Which statement is right? ____ By early last Wednesday, about 95% e-mails in 66 countries had been infected by the Bagle B. The worldwide cost of the Virus attacks in 2003 reached less than 82 billion U.S. dollars. Nearly one fifth of the domestic computers were infected with some kind of virus last year in China. Microsoft released a compact disc filled with the latest security upgrades last week. 4.What does “a global war” in the passage refer to? A war between countries. A war in which computer experts fight against the computer viruses. A war in which people fight against bird flu. A war in which computer experts fight against young people. 5.Which statement is NOT TRUE? Young guys make most of the computer viruses. National Cyber Alert System were attacked by 250,000 hackers in less than a week. 25% respondents said their computers were attacked at least every three weeks. The U.S. National Cyber Alert System was attacked by 250,000 hackers within a day. Passage 50 Christmas The word Christmas comes from the worlds Cristes maesse, or “Christ Mass”. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus for members of the Christian religion. Most historians think that the first celebration of Christmas can date back to 336 A.D. in Rome. Christmas is both a holiday and a Holy Day. In America it is the biggest event of the year (especially for kids), and for members of the Christian religions it is an important day on the religious calendar. There are usually oversized socks hanging on one’s mantel. According to a very old tradition, the original Saint Nicholas left his very first gifts of gold coins in the stockings of three poor girls who needed the money for their wedding dowries. The girls had hung their stockings by the fire to dry. Up until lately it was traditional to receive small items like fruit, nuts and candy in your stocking, but these have been replaced in the last half-century by more expensive gifts in many homes. Christmas sometimes spelled Xmas, especially when combined with the word “Sale”. According to the book “Did You Ever Wonder…” by Jeff Roving, the word for Christ in Greek is Xristos. The use of the shortened form Xmas became popular in Europe in the 1500’s. The word Xmas is so common in advertising most likely because “Xmas” and “Sale” have the same number of letters, and “Xmas” is significantly shorter than Christmas. Stores and malls are geared up about this holiday and every mall has a Santa village at that time. As mentioned above, stores and malls have been revved up about Christmas since the late 1800’s. in America today the weeks between thanksgiving and Christmas are, by far, the biggest retail sales weeks of the year. The survival of most retail stores depends on the Christmas buying season. Therefore retailers do whatever they can to whip people into a Christmas buying spirit and to attract them to their stores. Festive decorations, big ads, Santa’s villages and all the rest is a part of that process. Reading Comprehension Choose the best answer according to the passage. 1.According to historians, the first celebration of Christmas can be found as early as in ____. A. 336 in Rome B. 336BC in Rome C. 336 years before in Rome D. 336 years later in Rome 2.The reason that Christmas sometimes spelled “Xmas” is ____. A. Christmas is Xmas B. Christ in Greek is Xristos C. Xmas is the short from of Christmas D. the text didn’t mention the reason 3. why kids often hang oversized socks on Christmas? A. They want some coins. B. They have to do so C. Their father and mothers ask them to do so. D.They want to receive some Christmas gifts. 4. Why are the stores and malls revved up about Christmas? They like to do so. They want people t o have good rest during Christmas. They want to get more profits. They intend to force people to see their stores and malls. the main idea of the text is_____. introduction of Christmas oversized stockings hung on the mantel Xmas is equal to Christmas Some social customs towards Christmas Passage 51 Valentine’s Day Rose Are Red Rose are red Violets are sweet And so are you And so are you That send you this And when we meet We’ll have a kiss Valentine Symbols Heart Emotions are feelings such as love, happiness, anger, or fear. A long time ago, people believed that all the emotions were found in the heart. In later years, they though only the emotion of love, and because of this, it is also a symbol of Valentine’s Day. Red Rose The rose was the favorite flower of Venus, the Roman goddess of love. Red is a color that stands for strong feeling. This is why the red rose is a flower of love. Lace Lace is a pretty fabric made by weaving together fine threads. Hundreds of years ago, women carried lace handkerchiefs. If a woman dropped her handkerchief, a man nearby might pick it up and return it to her. Sometimes a woman might see a man she wanted to meet. She might drop her lace handkerchief on purpose to encourage romance. Soon people though of romance when they though of lace. They began using paper lace to decorate chocolate boxes and Valentine cards. Gloves Years ago, when a man propose marriage and love. Soon gloves also became a symbol of love. Rings In some countries, men and woman exchange rings when they because engaged or get married. Two or three hundred years ago, Valentine’s Day was a popular day for giving an engagement ring. An engagement ring usually had a stone or jewel set in it. Diamonds are common in today’s engagement rings. Love knot A love knot is a series of winding and interlacing loops with no beginning and no end. It is a symbol of endless love. People made love knots. The message had no beginning or end. It could be repeated endlessly. Lovebirds & Doves Lovebirds are colorful parrots found in Africa. Most have red bills. They are called lovebirds because they sit closely together in pairs. Doves were though to be favorite birds of Venus. They remain with the same mates all their lives. The males and females both care for their babies. Because these birds are symbols of loyalty and love, they are also symbols of Valentine’s Day. Cupid (爱神丘比特) Son of Venus, goddess of love. He could cause people to fall in love by piercing with of his magic arrows. Choose the best answer according to the passage. According to the passage, the following is the symbol of Valentine’s Day EXCEPT_____. A. red rose B. heart C. Cupid’s arrow D. Venus What animals are though to be the symbol of Valentine’s Day? A. Bird. B. Crane. C. Doves. D. Golden fish. why do young people prefer love knot? Because it can be repeated endlessly. Because it is colorful. Because it stands for love. Because it stands for endless love. Suppose that a woman drops her handkerchief on purpose, what would happen? A man nearby might pick it up and return it to her. A man nearby might pick it up and ask her to marry him. A man nearby might pick it up and ask her not to drop it any more. A man nearby might pick it up and a love-story might begin. Why is Cupid also the symbol of Valentine’s Day? Because the magic arrow could cause people fall in love. Because the magic arrow could cause people think of him. Because most people falling in love are afraid of arrow. Because Cupid is one kind of God. Passage 52 Let’s Go In For Sports In the world today, more and more people are interested in sports and games, which have become of people’s daily life. Some people enjoy playing them; some become fans of certain kind. Not all people like to work but every one likes to play. We all know that sports and games build our bodies and keep us in good health. Exercises can stimulate the blood circulation and take more oxygen to every part of your body. They are especially helpful to those who work with their brains. They can also improve your reaction and make you quick both in mind and in movement. Sports and games can also train a person’s character. On the sports field, you’ll learn to fight fair and hard, to win without pride and lose with grace. Sports and games are like a bridge to true friendship. Having fun with your friends makes you happy. Most of all, you know you are working for the good of your team and even of your country instead of just your own benefit. Then what kind of sports do you prefer to? Various people make various choices. Games and sports often grow out of people’s work and activities. They can be classified into many different forms according to races, nations, ages and even sexes. Most importantly, they depend on your personal favors. There are many kinds of sports, for instance, ball games (such as basketball, football, volleyball, etc), water sports (surfing, boat racing, etc), winter sports (such as sking, skating…) and so on. You can choose whatever you like. You can choose to play with other or just do it yourself. Running is probably one of the most popular sports all over the world. It’s also one of the easiest means of exercises. You can run every where, even at you own home. Early every morning you can see people running in parks and open ground. It’s better to go out for more fresh air. Where there are mountains, there can be mountain climbing. Mountain climbing and hiking are favorite sports for man people, especially when you are a person fond of adventure and experience. Perhaps you like swimming. You can swin in the swimming pools and in the rivers and lakes as well. You can even go in for it in winter with a very strong will and a very smart body. As we have said above, sports and games can be of great value. They not only make you live happily but also help you to learn virtues and do you work better. A sound mind is in a sound body. Let’s go in for sports and games. 1.From the text we can learn that____. exercise are good for your health because they can bring oxygen to your body sports grow out of people’s work and activities you can run everywhere, but better at your own home mountain climbing is very popular everywhere 2.____ is probably the most convenient and popular means of sports. A. Mountain climbing B. Running C. Swimming D. Ball games 3.Which of the following is true according to the text? Everyone likes to play and work. No one likes to play and work. Not everyone likes to play. Some people like to work but almost everyone likes to play. 4.What is the meaning of the word “sound “in the last paragraph? A. Voice. B. Good. C. Noise. D. Wise. 5.You can get a lot from sports except ____ according to the text. health and happiness quick reaction and movement experiences and virtues wealth and money Passage 53 More Important Than Life Soccer is played, watched and enjoyed in almost every country. Every one becomes crazy about it. Sometimes the boys have learnt to kick the ball before they start to walk. Fans can tell the details of every match. The teenagers are wearing T-shirts printed with their favorite stars. Even the old can remember the football heroes from their time to now. football attracts the attention of all ages. Soccer is a religion in many places, where the fortunes of teams excite passions than anything else. People watch football matches of all kinds through media, and the fans would try their best to be present at the spot. They would like to follow their teams no matter where they are. If the teams they favor win, they sing and dance crazily. But if their teams lose, they feel that it is the end of the world. The failure even leads to a conflict between the two groups. During the football season, policemen are the busiest. It also once helped to stop a war, for a few hours at least. On Christmas Day, 1914, World War I stopped on the Western Front as an unofficial match between a team in England and one from Germany was going on. After the match, the fight came back again. How has the game become so universal? FIFA (Federation of International Football Association) was formed in 1904 with seven founding countries. Later on many nations joined in. This game has spread rapidly since the late 19th century. It is simple with a few rules, little equipment and can be played by almost any numbers of players at any time. It is fast and has dramatic action. It is a personal skill within a team work. It is the match between the strongest. It shows who is the best and bravest in the world of football. It’s exciting and fascinating. Most important of all, it builds the bridge leading to friendship between countries and persons. The World Cup is a prime example of all its characters. It is held every four years at different sites. It seems that the fans are always waiting for the next Games for they think that’s not enough to meet their demands. Soccer is the world’s common language, perhaps even more so than music. It is the most popular of sports, representing all countries, all cities, and all towns. A great player once said that soccer was a matter of life and death, as for me, it is more serious than that. Reading Comprehension 1.According to the passage, people are fond of soccer because____. soccer is simple with a few rules, little equipment it is a personal skill within a team work it’s exciting and fascinating all of above 2.What is the author’s attitude towards soccer? It is as important as his life. It isn’t as important as his life. It is less important than his life. It is more important than his life. 3.Fans who are present at the spot care much more about _____ then everything else. the fortunes of the teams they favor all the football matches the passions of the teams they favor their favorite players 4. What’s the meaning of “universal” in the third paragraph? A. Popular B. Space C. University D. Exciting 5.The passage is mainly about ____ the popularity of soccer the foundation of the World Cup the rules of soccer the activities of the football fans Passage 54 The Interview With your objective clearly in mind and the properly and the properly written record of your background to back it up, you are now ready for the interview. There are one or two reasons why you will be interviewed: first, because the person you are going to talk to has to see you (out of friendship or duty);or second, because your preliminary contact has given the employer the idea that you have some of the qualifications she is seeking or interested in. in either case, however, many of the same characteristics will be observed or looked for. Appearance gives the first impression, but whether you know it or not, you will be rated on such other points as personality, mental ability, vocabulary, sense of humor, good judgment, imagination, technical ability, leadership, flexibility, and honesty. Remember that the minute you walk in and before you say a word, you start creating an impression. The receptionist may pass on the information that “he’s nice looking ,” or “he’s chewing gum”, or some other comment that can help or hinder, in many cases she plays a definite part in the executive recruiting of the firm. If she is pleasant to you, it is usually because part of her job is to be that way t o all visitors, not because of any outstanding impression you have made on her. Also don’t overlook the fact that other employees or executives will be walking through the reception room. Avoid expressing irritation at delays or taking up the receptionist’s time with a little story you heard last night. Some receptionists have other duties beside receiving visitors. It is best to pick up a magazine—or better still. Some literature that will add to your knowledge of the company—and read quietly until your interview cam see you. Be gracious when he apologies for the time you waited. The job seeker should be prepared to have everyone look him over. Usually the more conservative the dress, the better. Also, don’t overlook the shine on your shoes or other details of personal appearance because the interviewer won’t. by the time the actual conversation with your interviewer starts he has already formed an impression. Don’t take more of the interview’s time than he is apparently willing to give. End the interview, or rather allow him to do it, while he is still interested in you and your problems. Don’t bore or annoy him by keeping him from his other work. Many jib seekers are polite enough to drop their interview a note a day or two after they have been seen. I would suggest going on step further, where possible, and making a second call on the interviewer about a week later. This procedure ties your name and face together in the interviewer’s mind. Limit the call to five minutes, and don’t make calls on Monday morning, Friday afternoon, or late in the day. Think of the other fellow. Choose the best answer according to the passage: why will you be interviewed? because the employer wants so see you. Because the person you are going talk to has to see. Because the preliminary contact has given the employer the idea that you are the person he is seeking. Both A and B. According to the author, the first impression is ______. the ability of expressing ideas the appearance the mental ability the imagination Which of the following is false? you start to create an impression the minute you say a word some receptionists have other duties besides receiving visitors be polite when the interviewer apologizes for the time you waited don’t neglect the shine in your shoes and other details of your personal appearances which of the following can be inferred from the passage? after the first interview, you’d better make a second call on the interviewer. Before the actual conversation starts with your interviewer, you have already left an impression on him. You should overlook the fact that other employers will be walking through the reception room. If the interviewer is interests in your problems you shouldn’t stop the interview. in line 13, the word “she” prefers to____ . A. the applicant B. the employer C. the receptionist D. the executive Passage 55 Vocations and Different Economic Cultures Henry Stimson, the U.S secretary of war in World War 2, once observed that a capitalist country going to war had” better let business make money out of the process or business won’t woek”. This insight of his also applies in peace-time. America abides by this principle and, as a result, has became a powerful jib machine. Europe doesn’t—and is a small job machine. The huge job gap between the united states and Europe is, of course, well know. From 1978 to 1995, western Europe’s unemployment jumped from 5.7precent. the unemployment rate in the U.S hasn’t gone up. It was 5.8precent in 1976 and 5.6precent in 1995. Job creation requires three thing:(1) the economy must grow fast enough so that companies want more workers; (2) hiring must be profitable---if labor costs are too high, firms won’t hire even if demand is strong; and (3) people must be willing to work. On all counts, the U.S. economy out-performs the European countries; (1) Economic growth: between 1979 and 1995, the U.S. economy grew at an annual average rate of 2.4precent; the European union’s(E.U.)economy grew on 2.1precent annually. (2) Labor costs: Europe’s rises faster than America’s despite high unemployment. Between 1983 and 1993, compensation per worker (wages plus fringes) jumped 6.3 percent annually in E.U.; the comparable U.S. increase was 4.2percent. (3) Work effect: Americans work harder, because the alternative being supported by government isn’t attractive. Interestingly, initial U.S. and European unemployment benefits are similar. They typically replace about 50 to 70 percent of an averages worker’s wages. But after some joblessness, U.S. benefits go down sharply while European countries continue to provide support. All Europe’s disadvantages feed each other. Higher labor costs deter hiring. Steep payroll taxes do the same. America’s advantages are also reinforcing. The business climate is more favorable than that in Europe, so American corporations are consistently more profitable. It is the economic culture that counts. America still embraces the market culture: its obsession with growth, its striving for wealth and tolerance of inequality, its acceptance of changing. European is more inclined to reshape market culture through government regulation, while government’s involvement does much good, too much of it can hinder economic growth. Choose the best answer according to the passage. 1. Which of the following would be the best peacetime version of Stimson’s remark? Business is a powerful job machine. Business must make more money in peacetime. Market should be left fairly free. Business will collapse if it is interfered. 2. Which of the following doesn’t help to create jobs according to the third paragraph? Fairly low labor costs. Demand for labor force. Fast economic growth. People’s incentives to work. 3. According to the passage, Americans work harder than Europeans because when they are out of work____. their unemployment benefits are better they get about 60 percent of their wages they are not given any benefits they don’t get much relief after some joblessness 4. According to the page, which of the following is not a feature of the market culture? Working hard to accumulate wealth. Preoccupation with development. Absolute equality for every citizen. Open-mindedness towards social changes. 5. European economic culture is different from that of the US in that ____. it advocates free market system it opposed the free market system it faces too much government intervention it allows very little government intervention Passage 56 China’s population China’s fifth nationwide census in November, 2000 puts the mainland’s population at 1.26 billion, an increase of 11.7 percent according to the national bureau of statistics, and the country’s population growth is slowing. Annual growth was 1.07 percent---down 0.4 percentage points from the rate in the 1980s. the figure was substantially lower than independent estimates that put the number of Chinese citizens as high as 1.5 billion. China has tried to restrict urban couples and rural families to just one child to reduce the strain on food production and other resources since the late 1970s. the latest figures show that china’s compulsory birth-control policies were effective in holding down population growth. China is a developing country with the largest population in the world, accounting for about 21% of the world’s total. These years the Chinese government conducts its national census more often than before in order to better understand the pattern and trend of population change, further rein in population growth, improve population quality, and properly formulate a population policy and social and economic development plan for the 21st century. China has a huge population, but a weak economic foundation with relatively inadequate per-capita resources. These are its basic national conditions. Many contradictions and problems in china’s economic and social development are closely associated with the issue of population, which has become the key factor and primary problem restricting china’s economic and social development. Whether the population problem can be properly solved has direct bearing on the improvement of the population quality and the living standards of the Chinese people, as well as the prosperity of the Chinese nation. It also concerns the world peace and development. In line with the strategic goal of the nation’s modernization drive and proceeding from national conditions, the Chinese government has formulated and implemented a population policy which conforms to china’s reality and has greatly contributed to the stabilization of the national and the world population and to the promotion of human development and progress. The Chinese government is willing to continue its efforts together with the international community to effectively solve the problem of population and development. The Chinese government firmly believes that china’s population and development cause will develop further in the 21st century and that china will make still greater contribution to the civilization and progress of mankind. Reading Comprehension Ⅰ.Choose the best answer according to the passage. China’s population is 1.26 billion, which accounts for about _____ of the world’s population. A. one-fourth B. two-thirds C. two-fifths D. one-third China’s fifth national census indicates that the growth of china’s population is ________. A. increasing B. faster than estimated C. slower than estimated D. as fast as estimated The problem of the population is of great importance to china because_______. China’s population has greatly increased these years it is closely associated with its economic and social development the population quality needs to be improved it’s necessary to better understand the trend of population change According to the passage, all the statements are true except that________. China’s birth-control policies are effective to slow down its population China is a developed country with a large population China’s population policy is of great significance both to the economic development and the civilization and progress of mankind. China has along way to go in reining its population The passage is mainly about______. China’s population growth China’s fifth nationwide census the strategic goal of china’s modernization China’s population and economic development Passage 57 Population Crisis in Europe In at least 14 European countries, population numbers have started to fall and in the rest there is zero or near-zero growth. By 2050, the European population is predicted to be down to 600 million, from 725 million today. Centuries of population growth are turning to decline. For much of the 20th century population decline was waiting to happen in Europe. It was coming to pass after the First World War for only to be pushed back by the unexpected baby-boom after 1945. That enthusiasm for children, however, did not last. It took only 20 years to return to below the replacement of birth rates and the decline has now set in. If a population is to replace itself with stable numbers from one generation to the next it must obviously produce enough children. In developed countries with low child mortality and high life expectancy, long term population stability is attained with a birth rate of about 2.1 children per woman. However, the average birth rate in Europe is estimated to 1.34 children per woman. For technical statistical reasons this may possibly underestimate the real level of fertility, but if so only by one or two decimals. Present fertility is much below the replacement level. To rate of 1.5, a population would be reduced to about a half in 100 and with years and with a birth rate of 1.2 to about 25 percent. In that thought and with current birth rates, the descendents of the 82 million people now living in Germany would at the end of this century be less than 40 million, and the descendents of the 57 million in today’s Italy less than 20 million. In Europe it is not inconceivable that population decline will lead to economic decline, indeed that is probable. Although birth rates are indisputably too low in Europe as a whole, they are above crisis level in some European countries. What is reality in some countries must be possibly in others. Europe could nudge up birth rates. Small changes would add up to large effects in population trends. But how? Firstly, a family oriented revolution is needed in the welfare states by making it affordable for young people to form families. The government must give families with children more economic support and make it possible for woman to be wives, mothers and workers at the same time. This will include both back-to-the-family measures, such extended paid maternity leave and job security for mothers, and collective measures such as crèches and day care centers. Secondly, we must sort ourselves out on immigration. The world’s people are on the move. The future belongs to dynamic mixed-population societies. Europe is sclerotic because it is allowing itself to grow old in structures and mind-sets. It would make matters worse if we were to shut ourselves off from what is young in today’s world. population crisis in Europe is _______. continue increasing population population decline the quality of population the welfare of the large population All the following statements are TRUE except that _______ population in Europe has been decreasing since WWⅡ the European population will decline by about one-seventh of that today by 2005 the average birth rate per woman in Europe is about 1.34 children, which is lower than that of population stability more than ten European countries face population crisis _________ will be helpful to keep European population stability. Emigration Immigration Encouraging young couple to have more children Both B and C what does the word “move” in the sentence “The world’s people are on the move”? A. Emigration and immigration B. Emigration C. Traveling D. Coming and going _________ face population crisis in Europe. A. All the countries B. At least 14 countries C. Only some countries D. No countries Passage 58 Population Density Population density can be used as a measurement of any tangible items. However it is most applied to living organism. Population density is usually expressed in terms of organisms per unit area. Population density is a common, biological measurement and is often used by conservationists as a more appropriate measure than absolute numbers. Low Population densities may cause an extinction vortex, where low densities lead to further reduced fertility. For human beings Population density is the number of persons per unit of area ( which may include or exclude inland water ), though it may also be expressed in relation to habitable, inhabitable, productive or cultivated area. It is frequently measured in persons per square mile or persons per square kilometer or hectare, which can be obtained simply by dividing the number of persons by the land of area measured in square kilometers or hectares. Commonly this may be calculated for a country, city, country or the entire world. The list countries by population density is based on total area, including inland water. Countries or territories with the highest population density are: Macau, Monaco, Hong kong, Singapore and Gibraltar. These territories share relatively small area and an exceptionally high urbanization level, with an economically specialized city population drawing also rural resources outside the area, illustrating the difference between high population density and overpopulation. The most densely populated large state is Bangladesh, where 134 million people live in a highly agricultural area around the lower Ganges River, with a national population density in excess of 900 persons per km2. Cities with exceptionally high population densities are often considered to be overpopulated, though the extent depends on factors like quality of housing and infrastructure or access to resources. Most of the largest densely-populated cities are in southern and eastern Asia, though Cairo and Lagos in Africa also fall into the category. City population is, however, heavily dependent on the definition used for the urban area: densities will be far higher for the central municipality than when more recently-developed and as yet administratively unincorporated suburbs are included. Reading Comprehension Choose the best answer according to the passage. Population density can be used as measurement of ________. A. population only B. living things only C. anything that can be touched D. anything that exists Low population densities may be a sigh of ________. A. the extinction of a species B. increasing birth rate C. decreasing of population D. decreasing of mortality Countries and territories with the highest densities are _______. A. small areas B. large areas C. rural areas D. in America The population density of the most densely populated state in the world is ________. A. 134 million people B. 42 persons C. over 900 persons D. less than 900 persons All the following statements are TURE except that ______. overpopulated cities are usually those with high population densities Cairo and Lagos are cities with the largest population densities in South America Macau, Monaco, Hong kong and Singapore are the largest densely-populated areas, which are in southern and eastern Asia this passage is mainly about the population density of human beings Passage 59 Advertising: The Selling of a Product Pre-reading Questions Do you think that advertising has any effect on our life? What are the advantages and disadvantages of advertising? A consumer walks into a store. He stands in front of hundreds of boxes of laundry detergent. He chooses one brand, pays for it, and leaves. Why does he pick that specific kind of soap? Is it truly better than others? Probably. These days, many products are nearly identical to each other in quality and price. If products are almost the same, what makes consumers buy one brand instead of another? Although we might not like to admit, commercials on television and advertisements in magazines probably influence us much more than we think they do. Advertising informs consumers about new products available on the market. It gives us information about everything from shampoo and tooth-paste and computers and cars. But there is one serious problem with this. The “information” is actually very often “misinformation”. It tells us the products’ benefits but hides their disadvantages. Advertising not only lead us to buy things that we don’t need and can’t afford, but it also confuses our sense of reality. “Zoom tooth-paste prevents cavities and gives you white teeth!” the advertisement tells us. But it doesn’t tell us the complete truth: that a healthy diet and a good tooth-brush will have the same effect. Advertisers get psychologists to study the way consumers think and their reasons for choosing one brand instead of another. These experts tell advertisers about the motives of fear and self-image. They also inform them about recent studies with colors and words. Psychologists have found that certain colors on the package of an attractive product will cause people to reach out and take that package instead of buying an identical product with different colors. Also certain words attract our attention. For example, the words “new”, “improved”, “natural”, and “giant size” are very popular and seem to pull our eyes and hand toward the package. Many people believe that advertising does not affect them. They know that these are free to choose, and they like to think they make wise choices. Unfortunately, they may not clearly understand that advertisers spend billions of dollars each year in aggressive competition for our money, and they are extremely successful. Do you believe that ads. don’t influence your choice of products? Just look at the brand in your kitchen and bathroom. Reading Comprehension Choose the best answer according to the passage. which of the following statements is not the disadvantage of advertising? Advertising leads us to buy things that we don’t need and can’t afford. The advertising often hides the disadvantages of the products. Advertising informs us about new products available on the market. Advertising confuses our sense of reality. Why does the text say that the “information” is actually very often “misinformation”? Because it gives us information about everything. Because it only tells us the products’ benefits but hide their disadvantages. Because it doesn’t tell us that a healthy diet and a good tooth-brush can also prevent cavities and give us white teeth. Because it makes us buy one brand instead of another. Which of the following is not true according to the psychologists’ recent studies? Certain colors on the package of an attractive product will not cause people to reach out and take that package. Certain words such as “new”, “improved”, “natural”, and “giant size” attract our attention. Certain colors and words influence our choice of products. Different colors and words have different influence on consumers. The writer mainly wants to tell us______. that many people believe that advertising does not affect them the psychologists’ recent studies about colors and words the advantages and disadvantages of advertising that advertising influence us much more than we think they do We can not learn from the passage that ______. advertisers use many methods to get us buy their products the reason why the consumer buy that specific kind of soap is that it is truly better than others advertising has both advantages and disadvantages the effect of advertising is powerful Passage60 E—money Just imagine: no coins in your pants, no bills in your wallet. To buy a cabinet, you simply insert a card into the vending machine. You pull out the same card to board a bus, do your laundry, or buy a newspaper. You add value to the card by inserting it in an Automatic Teller Machine. Such are the smart cards scientists are developing. Some scientists call them chip cards. Some others call them electronic purses, or simply E-money--- money of the future. A smart card goes a step beyond the magnetic card we use today. It is like a computer or almost a tiny computer. It is a memory device. Scientists intend such smart cards to replace cash in our wallet. Why cards instead of cash or cheque? Convenience, safety, and cost? Money costs money. Handing it, accounting for it, and protecting it is expensive---whether the money in the form of cash, cheques, or credit cards. Money wears out; cheques must be handled and stored; credit cards must be manufactured; the amounts of transactions must be verified by phone. Today’s bills are problematic for vending machines. Where a pound coin is acceptable, a dollar coin will be rejected. Modern vending machines accept dollar bills, but remember, only perfectly kept dollar bills, without folded corners or wrinkled edges. And one of the most important benefits of smart cards is that the card’s value can be verified and changed without going through a complex system as a credit card has to. That will finally help smart cards win the favour of all users and in effect become the money of the future, sooner than we imagine. Reading Comprehension Which of the following statements is TRUE for E-money? The money of future. The money for the vending machine. The money used for the Internet. The money for the E-mail. Why do scientists use cards to replace cash in our wallets? Because the cards are like computers. Because cards are safer than cash. Because cards are more convenient. Because cards are easy to make. What does the sentence “money costs money” mean? Money is very expensive. Money costs a lot to be made. Money costs a lot to handle, account for, and protect. Money is difficult for using the vending machine. What is the problem for using the vending machine? It accepts all kinds of money. It accepts only perfectly kept bills. It accepts only dollar bills. The money is not acceptable by the vending machine. According to the author, what’s the main idea of E-money? It must be the money of the future. It will be the money of the future. It can be the money of the future. It can’t be the money of the future. Passage 61 Ancient people had little idea of the nature of the earth's surface. But if they lived on the seashore, they knew that there was land and sea. People who lived near the sea noticed that there were two kind of land. There were, first, little pieces of land surrounded by the sea. One Latin word for “sea” is “salum”, which means “salt”. This is because sea water, unlike rain water, contains salt —— it is salty. So a piece of land in the sea was “in salt” in Latin, and this became isle in English. Then there was another kind of land that went on and on. It was “continuous” land, and so became known as continent in English from the Latin “continens” meaning continuous. In English, we also speak of a continent as the main land (main comes from the Latin “magnus” meaning “great”), as opposed to island (isle-land). To the ancient Greek, there seemed to be three continents separated by the sea. The Mediterranean Sea, in fact, gets its name from the Latin “medius” (middle) and “terra” (land). It was a sea that lay in the middle, with three bodies of land about it. The three continents —— Asia, Europe and Africa —— are actually connected by land. Africa and Asia are connected by only the small Sinai isthmus, from the Greek “isthmus” meaning “a narrow passage”, but Europe and Asia are connected by land for a thousand miles or more and it is only custom that makes us speak of Europe as a continent. Many geographers speak of the landmass of Asia plus Europe as Eurasia, and Eurasia plus Africa is sometimes called the world land. The three together and surrounded by sea, so they form a land island, and they contain about 85 percent of the earth's population, so it is an island that is almost the equivalent of the world. 1. The people in the ancient times know _____. A. little about the surface of the earth B. land and sea C. some continents were connected D. many people lived on the World Island 2. he word “continent” comes from _____. A. the Latin word “continens” B. the Rome word “continens” C. the Greek word “continens” D. none of the above 3. Eurasia” is the name _____. A. given by the ancient people living on the island B. for the continents of Europe and Asia C. European people like very much D. for Europe in Greek language 4. The land that connects Asia and Africa is _____. A. an island B. large desert C. a “narrow passage” in Greek words D. a land of a thousand miles large 5. About 85% of the population in the word are living _____. A. on the continents B. on Eurasia C. on the World Island D. none of the above Passage 62 These days more and more people change jobs every few years. Sometimes they move for advancement, sometimes for other reasons. At times, it seems, people change jobs due to pure restlessness. For an ambitious person, a new job may present a chance for advancement that is not available with the old employer. By moving around, a person can learn new ways of doing things, gain skills, and become a more valuable employee. Moving around may also help a person find the "right" position, although job hunting can involve a lot of trial and error. However, changing jobs also has costs. One is loss of benefits, such as vacation pay and pension (退休金) right. Learning the job takes time and effort, and it takes time before a new employee is really productive. In addition, changing jobs is stressful, not only for the employee but often for his or her family as well. If the change requires moving to a new location, everyone must make new friends and adjust to a different way of life. Whether or not changing jobs is desirable, for most people it is sometimes necessary. Our economy is changing so rapidly that "permanent" jobs disappear, and sometimes a whole line of work becomes outmoded (过时的). Like it or not, many of us will be faced with changing jobs in the future. 1. The word "ambitious" in Paragraph 2 means _____. A . proud and confident C. promising and hopeful B. difficult to be pleased D. determined to be successful 2. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a reason to change one's job? A. To have a new lifestyle. C. To learn new skills. B. To have a better position. D. To develop one's potentials. 3. The costs of changing one's job may include _____. A. leaving his family and learning new skills B. moving to a new place and losing vacation pay C. losing his permanent job and making new friends D. moving to a new place and having a new position 4. According to the passage, some people change jobs because _____. A．they are no longer valuable to their fellow workers B. they are not productive on the old jobs C they are not allowed to have pension right D they are unsatisfied with their positions 5. The best title of this passage could be _____. A. Changing Jobs: Costs and Losses B. Why More and More People Change Jobs C. Changing Jobs: Advantages and Disadvantages D. Not All the People Want to Change Jobs Passage 63 It was midnight in Paris and we were rolling toward the Avenue Bosguet. As we came to the Pont Alexander III, the cab slowed down, for the traffic light was red against us, and then, without stopping, we sailed through the red light in a sudden burst of speed. The same performance was repeated at the Alma Bridge. As I paid the driver, I asked him why he had driven through two red lights. “You ought to be ashamed of yourself, a veteran like you, breaking the law and endangering your life that way,” I protested. He looked at me, astonished, “Ashamed of myself? I am a law-abiding(遵纪守法的) citizen and have no desire to get killed either.” He cut me off before I could protest. “No, just listen to me before you complain. What did I do? Went through a red light. Well, did you ever stop to consider what a red light is, what it means?” “Certainly,” I replied, “it is a stop signal and means that traffic is falling in the opposite direction”. “Half-right”, said the driver, “but incomplete. It is only an automatic signal. And it does not mean that there is cross traffic. Did you see any cross traffic during our trip? Of course not. I slowed down the light, looked carefully to the right and to the left. Not another car on streets at this hour. Well, then! What would you have me do? Should I stop like a dumb animal because an automatic, brainless machine turns red every forty seconds? No, monsieur(先生),” he thundered, hitting the door with a huge fist. “I am a man, not a machine. I have eyes and a brain and judgment, given by God. It would be a sin against nature to surrender them to the dictates of a machine. Ashamed of myself, you say? I would only be ashamed of myself if I let those blinking lamps do my thinking for me. Good night, monsieur.” Is this bad, is this good? Frankly I am no longer sure. I never doubted that it was wrong to drive through a red light, but now I find my old Anglosaxon standards somewhat shaken. 1. At the Alma Bridge _____. A. the writer stopped the cab and paid the driver B. the cab went through a red light again C. there was a performance the writer had already watched D. the writer began to criticize the driver 2. to the cab driver, a red light _____. A. was not a stop signal B. should not work at midnight C. sometimes made mistakes in judgment D. didn't always mean that there was cross traffic 3. The chief reason that the driver dared to drive through the red light was that _____. A. he found there was no cross traffic there and then B. he thought it a shame to be controlled by a machine C. he know no other would see him at this hour D. he didn't trust any brainless machine 4. According to the passage, the driver thought what he had done as _____. A. law-abiding B. law-breaking C. something to be proud of D. something to be ashamed of 5. The last sentence shows that the writer is probably _____. A. an old man B. a French person C. an English person D. an America Passage 64 At present, it seems impossible to visit the satellites of other stars in search of life. Our present theories of physics indicate that it is impossible to move at a speed greater than that of light. Even at such a speed it would take many years to reach the nearest star that might have planets. Most such stars are many lifetimes away. Perhaps someday we shall invent ways of traveling or sending messages that will allow man to find other living things in the universe. Even more interesting is the possibility that they may find us! If the steady-state theory of the universe is correct, there must be many "solar systems" that are much older than ours. On some of these systems intelligent life may have evolved long ago. If so, these creatures might be exploring the universe today. Serious scientific projects in recent years have been studying the skies with radio telescopes, hoping to find signals sent by such intelligent beings. Thus far, we have found no definite evidence of other intelligent life in the universe. Perhaps we never shall. Yet the search and the hope will remain an exciting possibility for the future. 1. Today we cannot visit the satellites of other stars because _____. A. they are not within our traveling distance B. we cannot travel at the speed of light C. our life is not long enough D. the stars have no satellites 2. The last sentence in Paragraph 1 suggests _____. A. the speed of light traveling in the universe B. the existence of life on other planets C. the remoteness of other stars D. the shortness of our life 3. According to the author, the existence of intelligent life on other planets is _____. A. a fact B. a possibility C. an evidence D. an imagination 4. Which of the following statements is true according to this passage? A. It seems unlikely that life exists on other planets. B. Attempts have been made to find life on other planets. C. Intelligent beings from other planets have visited the earth. D. Spaceships have been launched by other intelligent beings. 5. As for the evidence of other life in the universe, the author believes that in the future _____. A. it is definitely impossible for humans to find it B. these creatures will send us signals to provide it C. humans will most likely continue the search for it D. people will give up the hope and stop the search for it Passage 65 Doctors have known for a long time that extremely loud noise can cause hearing damage or loss. The noise can be the sound of a jet airplane or machines in factories or loud music or other common sounds found at home or at work. Person only needs hear the noise for little more than one second to be affected. An American scientist has found that using aspirin can increase the temporary hearing loss or damage from loud noise. He did an experiment, using a number of male students at a university who all had normal hearing. He gave them different amount of aspirin for different periods of time, then he tested their hearing ability. He found that students who were given four grams of aspirin a day for two days suffered much greater temporary hearing loss than those who did not use aspirin. The hearing loss was about two times as great. The scientist said millions of people in the United States use much larger amount of aspirin than were used in the study. He said these people face a serious danger of suffering hearing loss from loud noise. 1. Doctors have long known that _____. A. one will become deaf when he hears a loud noise B. hearing damage or loss can be caused by sounds of all kinds C. one may lose his hearing when he hears a terribly loud noise D. common sounds at home are not harmful to the ear 2. The passage suggests that one's hearing _____. will be damaged even if he has heard a loud noise for less than one second B. will be damaged even if he has heard a loud noise for only little more than one second C. will not be damaged even if he has heard a loud noise for only little more than one second D. will not be damaged if he has little more than one second to get ready 3. According tp this passage, one conclusion you can draw is that aspirin _____. A. should never be taken more than four grams a day B. can damage one's hearing when it is given more than four grams a day C. makes hearing damage from noise worse D. increases hearing loss by two times 4. Millions of Americans are in danger of suffering hearing loss because they _____. A. often take jet airplanes on trip B. like listening to loud music C. are drowned in loud noise at home and at work D. take too much aspirin 5. The purpose of the experiment the American scientist did was to find _____. A. how much aspirin would affect a person's hearing B. how much aspirin should be given in the treatment of the patients with hearing damage from loud noise C. whether the person who had hearing damage should use aspirin D. whether aspirin would increase the temporary hearing damage from loud noise Passage 66 Twins draw attention wherever they go. And recently twins have been the center of a different kind of attention: Scientists at the University-of Minnesota are studying twins raised apart and coming up with new insights (深刻的见解) into what makes human beings tick (具有特性). Lewis and Springer, the first twins studied, turned out to have more in common than just their first names and birth date: ? Voices and manners were alike. ? Both divorced women named Linda and married second wives named Betty. ? They named their sons James Allan and James Alan, and at one time each owned a dog named Toy. ? Both suffer similar tension headaches, prefer the same brand of beer and cigarettes, vacation on the same beach in Florida and like wood working. ? Both liked math and disliked spelling in school. ? They have identical blood pressures, pulse rates and sleep patterns, and show similar psychological development and experience. Researchers also find that twins who have been raised apart are sometimes more similar than those raised together. It seems to be a matter of establishing identity: Twins raised separately have no chance to interact or be compared with one another. Twins growing up together often work to create identities distinct from one another. To cut down on comparisons, they may choose different activities, friends or clothing. 1. Scientists at the University of Minnesota are now focusing their study on _____. A. twins studying at the same school B. twins raised under the same roof C. twins having few things in common D. twins brought up in different environments 2. Lewis and Springer are different from the twins raised together in that _____. A. they have a lot more in common than expected B. they have the same first name and birth date C. they have a very similar appearance D. they both have unhappy marriages 3. It can be safely inferred from the passage that Lewis and Springer _____. A. were brought up together C. were raised separately B. were educated in Minnesota D. were married several times 4. According to the context, the word "identity" (Line 2, last paragraph) most probably means _____. A. one's full name C. one's unique quality B. exact similarity D. distinct character 5. Twins growing together often tend to have less in common than those growing apart because _____. A. they try to be distinct from each other B. they have no chance to be compared with each other C. they choose similar activities, friends or clothing D. they prefer to have the same kinds of hobbies Passage 67 Plants seem to know which way is up and which way is down furthermore, they seem to know right from left. If a cutting from a poplar is kept alive, new shoots will grow from the end that grew uppermost in the tree. There is no visible difference between the top and the bottom of the living stich, even under a microscope. Even so, the stick will not send out shoots from the end it views at the bottom even if this end happens to be on top! Scientists studying this subject split their cuttings lengthwise. To their surprise, they made another discovery. A good many more buds grew on the right-hand side of the split surface than on the left. They split the sticks again and found that the buds again grew on the right side. The results of the whole study showed a 60 - 40 preference for the right side, proving that growing plants are basically “righthanded”. 1. Scientists examining the ends of a fresh cutting find _____. A. very little difference between them B. one end slightly darker than the other C. no difference between them D. a difference that only microscope reveals 2. If a cutting is placed upside down in the laboratory _____. A. the part on top will sprout leaves B. the original “up” will sprout leaves C. leaves will grow at either end D. the cutting will not develop at all 3. If the cutting is sliced in half lengthwise, the buds will _____. A. appear mostly on the right edge of the surface B. all appear on the left edge of the surface C. not grow at all D. grow on the “down edge” 4. When scientists split the sticks a second time, the cuttings _____. A. failed to bud again B. still exhibited the “right-handedness” C. no longer exhibited the knowledge of left and right D. appeared to lose knowledge of original up and down 5. The best title for this selection is _____. A. Growing Plants Have a Sense of Direction B. A Well-know Plant Experiment C. How Plants Grow D. The Basis for Right-handedness Passage 68 The question is always raised whether increasing numbers of women in high positions would make a difference in results. In broad opinion surveys it has been revealed that women's attitudes generally differ significantly from men's. When women have a chance to use power in settings where their presence is of great importance, government policies are usually noteworthy for their emphasis on equality, development, and peace. I think most people believe that women have made significant advances in many aspects of US national life. But in fact, we have only 23 women out of 435 in the House of Representatives, and only two women out of 100 in the United States Senate (参议院). We have increased the number of women mayors, but only about 15 percent of state legislators (立法者) are women. And it's shocking that here, although advances have been made and more females have entered high councils of government, decisions of life and death are made by only one part of the population. I think we suffer from that, particularly in foreign policy, where we see that government has remained actually an all-male preserve (领地). 1. Women would have some influence on government policy decision _____. A. with their changes in attitudes B. with their presence in high positions C. with their emphasis on equality, development and peace D. with their own different opinions about policies 2. The word "noteworthy" (Paragraph 1) most probably means _____. A. deserving support C. deserving study B. deserving discussion D. deserving attention 3. What does the author think about women's advances in US national life? A. Unsatisfactory. C. Efficient. B. Worthless. D. Encouraging. 4. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage? A. Women make up 15 percent of the House Representatives. B. 23 women have been elected mayors or state legislators. C. Only 2 women have been elected into the Senate. D. 100 women have been elected state legislators. 5. From this passage, we can safely come to the conclusion that _____. A. policy-making positions are reserved for men only B. great advances have been made in women's movement C. women have participated in foreign policy-making D. women haven't got equal chances for high positions Passage 69 It is exciting to apply for a job that really appeals to you. In making your application, there are a number of points for you to observe. In your letter of application, aim to say just enough to give a good account of yourself, without being tedious. If you are answering an advertisement, any information for which it asks must, of course, be given. This will usually cover your scholastic record and further education and training. You may also be asked to give the names of one or two persons to supply references. For this purpose you should choose people who know you well enough to vouch for your character and ability; and in courtesy, you should seek in advance their permission to be named as referees. It will depend on circumstances how much you can carefully add about yourself. Your purpose is to bring to the notice of the employer any good reason why you rather than any of the other applicants should be chosen for the job. If therefore you feel you have any special skill or aptitude for the work or, for example, and particular interested in the line of business, let this be known. Finally, there is your use of language. You cannot go wrong if you keep your sentences and paragraphs short, making sure the sense is clear and well-expressed. Choose plain words so long as they convey the meaning. 1. The aim of writing a letter of application is to _____. A. reveal to the employer your scholastic record B. indicate why you are most suitable for the job C. show your character and ability D. give enough information about yourself 2. In your letter of application, try to _____. A. keep it as short as possible B. give more information about your education and training C. say briefly with enough information D. cover your scholastic record fully 3. The author suggests you choose _____ so long as they express your thoughts. A. simple words B. ordinary words C. straightforward words D. words easy to understand 4. By “referee” the author means a person _____. A. who is willing to comment on your character and ability B. who writes reference books on employ for the employees C. to whom disputes are referred for decision D. who is appointed to examine and give judgment on a matter 5. The best title for this passage could be _____. A. How to Find a Job B. Effective Letter Writing C. Writing Letters to One’s Employer D. Applying for a job Passage 70 Country music is an American popular-music style. In its current form, country music is a combination of two separate musical traditions: the styles of the Southeastern states and the music of the Southwest, especially Texas. Both styles influenced and were influenced by the blues and by black rural dance music. The first country artists to be widely known achieved popularity in the late 1920s, The music of these performers was heard throughout the south during the I 920s and '30s on radio programs. By the l950s, country music had become a significant force in pop music. Regular appearances on the radio show made stars of many performers. The singer-songwriter Hank Williams wrote four million-seller songs in 1950, seven in l951, and four more in l953. By the l970s, some country musicians began combining country music with electric instruments, creating a country rock sound. 1. What does "Both styles" in Line 3, Paragraph l refer to? A. Country music style and the musical style of the Southeastern states, B. The musical styles of the Southwestern states and the Southeastern states. C. The Southwestern musical style and Texas musical style, D. The styles of blues and the black rural dance music. 2. Country music was not really an important pop music until _____. A. l920s B. l930s C. l940s D. l950s 3. Hank Williams _____ in 195l. A. wrote seven million songs B. sold seven million copies of his songs C. wrote seven songs D. sold seven million copies of his seven songs 4. Electric instruments add to country music a style of _____. A. rock music B. blues C. black music D. Southern music 5. What do you think can be a proper title of this passage? A. Hank Williams, A Great Singer and Songwriter B. The influence of Blues and Black Music C. A Brief Introduction to Country Music D. Country Music Combined With Electric Instruments Passage 71 In an effort to produce the largest, fastest, the most luxurious ship float, the British built the Titanic. It was so superior to anything else on the seas that it was considered “unsinkable”. So sure of this were the owners that they provided lifeboats for only 950 of its possible 3,500 passengers. Many passengers were aboard the night it rammed(撞击) an icebury, only two days at sea and more than half way between England and New York, the destination. Because the luxury liner was traveling so fast, it was impossible to avoid the ghostly looking icebury. An un-extinguished fire also contributed to the ships disaster. Panic(恐慌) increased the number of deaths as people jumped into the icy water or fought to be among the few to board the lifeboats. Four hours after the mishap(不幸的事), another ship, the Carpathia rescued the survivors —— less than a third of those original aboard. The famous Titanic enjoyed only two days of sailing glory on its maiden voyage in 1912 before plunging into 12,000 feet of water near the coast of Newfoundland, where it lies today. 1. Which of the following is NOT true? _____. A. Only a third of those aboard perished. B. The Carpathia rescued the survivors. C. The Titanic sank near Newfoundland. D. The Titanic was the fastest ship afloat in 1912. 2. Which of the following did NOT contribute to the large number of deaths? A. Panic B. Fire C. Speed D. The Carpathia 3. How many days was Titanic at sea before sinking? A. 2 B. 6 C. 4 D. 12 4. The word “un-extinguished” means almost the same as _____. A. indestructible B. uncontrollable C. undiscovered D. indistinguishable 5. What is the purpose of this passage? A. To criticize B. To inform C. To entertain D. To argue Passage 72 You have done enough practice in reading for this unit. Let's see how well you can read now. you are given 5 minutes to read the following passage. The passage is followed by five questions. For each question there are four suggested answers marked A), B), C) and D). after reading, you should choose the best answer. When a teacher or lecture recommends a student to read a book, it is usually for a particular purpose. In many cases, the teacher doesn't suggest that the whole book should be read. In fact, he may just refer to a few pages which have a direct bearing on the matter being discussed. Unfortunately, when many students pick up a book to read they tend to have no particular purpose in mind other than simply to "read the book". Often the open the book and start reading, page by page, line by line, word by word; in other words, slowly and in great detail. The result is that students frequently don't have an overall view of what they are reading; also, they tend to forget fairly soon what they've been reading. Students can make their reading much more effective by adopting a strategy(策略) aimed at helping them to understand and to remember what they read. Firstly, they should decide precisely why they're reading a book: perhaps it's to find some information that'll answer a question; perhaps it's to understand a difficult idea or argument, and so on. Then the students should decide exactly what they are going to read ; it's seldom necessary to read the whole book. A good starting point is the contents page, the chapter headings, and even the index（索引）at the back of the book. They are very useful in helping to pinpoint the exact pages that need to be read carefully for particular pieces of information. 1. According to the passage, it is rare for a teacher _____. A. to recommend a whole book for students to read B. to require students to read carefully C. to assign reading with a certain purpose D. to locate books for students to find 2. What is the writer's attitude towards reading slowly and in detail? _____. A. Positive B. Critical C. Neutral D. Indifferent 3. The result of reading word by word is that _____. A. students have to read the whole book B. students have not enough time to finish the book C. students often fail to get the main idea of the book D. students usually get more useless information 4. Contents page, chapter headings and index are important for a reader to start his reading with because _____. A. they cover major points of the book in detail B. they may help the reader to better understand the book C. they can take readers a lot of time to read every part of the book D. they may help the readers to find the important parts of the book 5. The passage is mainly about _____. A. the importance of reading B. the effective ways of reading C. the difficulties in reading D. the incorrect habits of reading Passage 73 The first European stock exchange was established in Antwerp, Belgium(比利时), in 1953. there were no stock exchanges in England until the 1700's. a man wishing to buy or sell shares of stock had to find a broker (agents) to transact his business for him. In London, he usually went to a coffee house, because brokers often gathered there. In 1773, the brokers of London formed a stock exchange. In New York City, brokers met under an old button-wood tree on Wall Street. They organized the New York Stock Exchange in 1792. The American Stock Exchange, second largest in the United States, was formerly called the Curb Exchange because of its origin on the streets of New York City. A stock exchange is a market place where member brokers buy and sell stocks and bonds(债券) of American and foreign businesses on behalf of the public. A stock exchange provides a market place for stocks and bonds in the same way a board of trade does for commodities. The stockbrokers receive a small commission on each transaction they make. The stockbroker may sell his stock wherever he want to unless the corporation has some special rule to prevent it. Prices of stock change according to general business conditions and the earnings and future prospects(前景) of the company. If the business is doing well, the stockholder may be able to sell his stock for a profit. If it is not, he may have to take a loss. 1. In the 1600's, if a man wanted to buy or sell shares of stock, he may to do it through _____. A. the government B. himself C. a broker D. the stock exchange 2. The second largest stock exchange in the U>S> used to be called _____. A. the Wall Street Exchange B. the New York Stock Exchange C. the Curb Exchange D. the U.S. Exchange 3. In Para. 3, the word “commodities” probably means _____. A. goods B. papers C. shares D. agreements 4. Which of the statements is true? _____ A. The stockholder can sell his stock to anywhere at anytime. B. There were no stock exchange in England in the 1700's. C. The price of stock is not stable. D. The stockholders do the transaction without charging for the stockholders. 5. The passage is mainly about _____. A. the Wall Street B. the stock exchange C. the stock D. the stockholder and stockbroker Passage 74 Benjamin Franklin was born in 1706 in Boston, Massachusetts. His father and mother were Puritan(清教徒的) religion. They left England and moved to the English colony of Massachusetts in order to escape persecution(迫害) for their religion. In Boston, Franklin left school when he was ten years old and worked for his father for two years. Then he went to work on his bother’s newspaper. He worked hard and saved his money. And by the age of 24 he was one of the most successful man in Philadelphia. In 1732, Franklin published a book “Poor Richard’s Almanac”. Most almanacs contained information for farmers, such as information about the days and weeks of the year and about the weather. To his almanac, Franklin added wise sayings, his observation about life, some of these sayings are still famous today. For example, “Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise,” and “Waste not, want not,” and “A penny saved is a penny earned.” 1. Benjamin Franklin was _____. A. English origin B. American origin C. French origin D. not mentioned 2. His parents moved to Massachusetts because _____. A. they wanted to make a fortune B. they wanted to meet their relatives there C. they were persecuted in England D. they wanted to have a visit there 3. At the age of 11, he worked for _____. A. brother B. father C. himself D. someone else 4. He moved to Philadelphia because _____. A. his brother didn’t like him B .he wanted to be dependent C .he became the editor of the newspaper D. he wanted to live on himself 5. Franklin’s almanacs contained _____. A. information for farmers B. wise sayings C. poor Richard’s ideas D. both A and B Passage 75 As the Beatles(披头士乐队) represent the most important English contribution to rock in the 1960's, Bob Dylan is the most important American contributor. This is true in spite of the facts that he has never reached the top sale list of the record industry in the way the Beatles have. Bob Dylan emerged from the popular folk movement during 1962 and 1963. His first two records, “Bob Dylan” and “the Freewheelin' Bob Dylan”, appeared in those years and established his national reputation. This reputation grew slowly, and was helped by his appearance around New York City and at college concerts. As early as 1962, Dylan became known for the quality and quantity of his song writing. And Dylan's material has reflected a social awareness and has always involved protest against injustice. It has aroused a broad trend of similar songs in the present-day market. These elements, in combination with Dylan's particular sound, have made him one of the most remarkable figures in the history of rock. 1. Compared with the Beatles, Bob Dylan _____. A. has more influence on rock music B. has sold fewer records of his songs C. is more important in the record industry D. is less important in American rock 2. Bob Dylan is _____. A a rock singer B. an English singer C. a blues singer D. a country singer 3. Bob Dylan became famous to more and more people because _____. A. he produce two records B. he wrote many good songs C. he traveled to New York City D. he often put on performances 4. In his songs, Bob Dylan showed his concern about _____. A. social problems B. folk movement C. New York City D. his national reputation 5. Bob Dylan is known for everything below EXCEPT _____. A. his particular voice B. the quality of his song-writing C. the quantity of his record sales D. his importance in rock music Passage 76 I came to India two years ago to find a village in which I could live and write but it was many months before I settled down happily in this Himalayan community. I wasted a lot of time looking for the “typical” village. Yet no such thing exists. Conditions vary too widely. But the villages I stayed in had much in common; poverty, dirt, ignorance. Often the villagers themselves were puzzled, suspicious. Why had I come? I had put aside my work as a political journalist because my ideas had changed. I had come to believe that what was happening in the Third World was more important than anything else. But to understand how three-quarters of the world’s people live, and how their future might affect ours, I felt that I first had to try and share their way of live. In the end I close a mountain village because it was a little cooler than those in the plains. I took the bus from a town along a bumpy road. Then came a rough walk down a steep path to the river. After this I began the climb into the hills. Whenever I stopped to catch my breath, there was a magnificent view. After several hours’ walk the village came into view. 1. After the writer had arrived in India _____. A. he spent two years writing about the place he lived in B. he took quite a long time finding a suitable place to live C. he spent years looking for a certain village D. he lived in a Himalayan community for many months 2. While looking for a “typical” village the writer find _____. A. ha was searching for impossible B. all the villages were exactly the same C. the villagers made him confused D. the villagers asked him a lot of questions 3. Before coming to India, the writer _____. A. had been successful in politics B. had made a decision to do no more work C. had been dismissed from publication D. had written articles for his job 4. The writer decided to change his way of life because _____. A. he no longer found his work interesting B. he wanted to live a peaceful life in the countryside C. he wanted to find out more about the Third World D. he thought living in a small community would be rewarding 5. The village the writer finally close to live in _____. A. was situated at the end of a bumpy road B. had a better climate than those in the plains C. was a short walk from the river D. had a magnificent view of the river Passage 77 Tension and anxiety are obstacles(障碍) to effective learning. The ability to relax is just as important to success in school as the ability to read. Anxiety can cause students to forget chapters that they have read to "go blank" at quiz time, or to fail to meet deadlines and to complete assignments on schedule(按时), Anyone can learn to rid(使摆脱) himself or herself of tension by resting the body, breathing deeply, and relaxing for three or four minutes before a test. Attention to details such as outlining(写提纲), note-taking, and time scheduling will help free mental energy to work on the tasks of learning. Planning one day ahead on a pocket calendar will do as much to improve the grades of some students in memory or speed-reading courses. 1. The main idea of this passage is that _____. A. anyone is capable of learning to rid himself or herself of tension B. planning ahead will help to reduce tension C. tension and anxiety are obstacles to learning D. the ability to relax is important to success 2. The passage implies that _____. A. anxiety is more dangerous than tension B. learning how to prepare for a lest is as important as learning the material for the tests C. a test should not be so important as to make a student anxious and tense D. tension and anxiety increase free mental energy 3. All of the following are recommended to rid the mind of tension except _____. A. relaxing for three or four minutes before a test B. breathing deeply C. doing much exercise D. resting the body 4. We can arrive at the conclusion from the passage that _____. A. students often feel tense and anxious because they do not organize their work well enough B. tension is more dangerous than anxiety C. anxiety and tension seldom affect test grades D. memory is a function of anxiety 5. As used in this passage, the word "anxiety" means _____. A. grades B. worry C. indecision D. headache Passage 78 A green house is a building made of glass which id used for keeping warm when the outside temperature is low. In a similar way there are several gases in the atmosphere(mixture of gases that surrounds the earth) thick trap the heat produced by the sun and prevent it from escaping. These gases are known as “greenhouse gases”, and the way in which they trap the heat in the atmosphere is called the “greenhouse effect”. This is not simply air pollution. Most of the main greenhouse gases exist naturally in small amount in our atmosphere, and without them earth would be 30 degree colder and human life would not exist. In other word, the greenhouse effect is a natural course which is to some degree helpful to us. The problem is that in the last century and a half, we have been putting too many of these gases into the earth’s atmosphere by bumping large quantities of coal and oil and by cutting down forest. The rapid increase in greenhouse gases is making the world warmer. The world’s temperature has already gone up by half a degree this century, and the sea level has risen by 10 centimeters. If the amount of carbon dioxide(二氧化碳) in the atmosphere doubles, there will probably be a rise in the earth’s temperature of between 1 and 4. This may seem a small increase, but it would be enough to cause major changes in geography and agriculture. Large areas of the world would be flooded, and some areas would become dry and unable to produce crops. It is important, too, to consider that there may be a delay of about 30 years in the greenhouse effect. This means that we are probably experiencing only now the effect of the gases put into the atmosphere before the 1960s. since then, our use of gases has greatly increased. 1. According to the passage, we can know “greenhouse effect” means _____. A. the way in which gases are used for keeping plants warm B. a natural course that is to a certain degree helpful to us C. the whole course in which greenhouse gases prevent heat D. the way “greenhouse gases” trap heat on the earth 2. If there were no greenhouse effect _____. A. all the plants will not grow on our planet B. soil would reduce the temperature by 30 degrees C. man would breathe the cleaner air D. Both A and B 3. Which of the following is Not true? A. Burning too much coal and oil produces lots of greenhouse gases. B. It has become warmer on the earth now than in the past C. Gases put into the atmosphere now will affect the earth years later. D. The temperature in a greenhouse is as high as that in the atmosphere. 4. Suppose the earth’s temperature rose by 3 degree, _____. A. great harm will be done to mankind B. the sea level would go up by 10 centimeters C. all the land in the world would be flooded D. crops would be unable to grow on the earth 5. This passage mainly deals with _____. A. the concept and the harm of the greenhouse B. the relation between greenhouse gases and man C. the concept and change of greenhouse effect D. the effect of the rise of the earth’s temperature Passage 79 When God made the first man. He put him in a beautiful garden, the Garden of Eden. Here Adam lived in peace with all the animals. God gave Adam eternal(永恒的) life. But Adam was lonely in the garden, so God made Eve. When Adam was asleep one night, God took a rib from him and made Eve, the first woman. Adam was happy when he woke up the next morning and found Eve beside him. God said to them, “Here in the Garden you have everything. But you cannot have one thing: you cannot eat the apples from the tree of Knowledge.” One day Satan came to the Garden. He changed into a snake and went to live in the tree of Knowledge. When Eve came near the tree one ady, the snake called her. He gave her an apple and said, “take this apple and eat it. Don't listen to the God. Eat it.” After Eve took a bite, she took the apple to Adam. He was afraid, but Eve reparted again and again: “It's good. Here, eat it. Why not?” So he finally ate the apple. Before they ate the apple, Adam and Eve didn't know they were naked. But now they were ashamed and covered their bodies with leaves. God was angry with them. He said, “Leave the Garden. You cannot stay here.” When Adam and Eve left the garden, they had their first experience of pain and hard work in the cold hard world outside. 1. God put Adam in a beautiful garden where he live _____. A. peacefully with other people B. happy with all the animals C. by himself without any other people D. eternally 2. Eve, the first woman, was made _____. A. by God from his rib B. by Adam from his rib C. by God from Adam's rib D. by Adam from God's rib 3. According to what God told them, Adam and Eve could _____. A. enjoy everything except the apples from the Tree of Knowledge B. learn knowledge from the apple trees C. share apples from the Tree of Knowledge with the animals D. eat more than one apple from the Tree of Knowledge 4. Which of the following statements is not true? _____. A. Satan tempted(诱惑) Eve to eat the apple first B. Eve persuade Adam to eat the apple after her C. Adam also ate the apple without hesitating D. Both Adam and Eve finally forgot God's words 5. Before they ate the apple, Adam and Eve _____. A. knew they were naked but didn't feel ashamed B. knew nothing about shame and didn't know they were naked C. covered their bodies with leaves and were not ashamed D. were not ashamed because they were not naked Passage 80 Mr. Smith was a wealthy industrialist, but he was not satisfied with life. He did not sleep well and his food did not agree with him. This situation lasted for some time. Finally, after several sleepless nights, he decided to consult his doctor. The doctor advised a change of surroundings. “Go abroad,” he said. “But I'm not good at foreign language, ” said Mr. Smith. “It doesn't matter,” said the doctor. “It won't hurt you to talk a little less. Go on a voyage. Take plenty of exercise. Try to reduce your weight. Avoid rich food.” Mr. Smith went to Switzerland. He did not know French or German, and had to communicate through gestures. He attended a physical training course. The instructor made him bend his knees, swing his arms, stretch his neck and shake his head rapidly. He had to lie on the ground and raise his right and left legs alternately. After a time his muscles grew hard and firm. He forgot the financial crisis and the importance of raising the level of production. He even began to notice individual trees and individual birds. Finally he returned home. But unfortunately his improvement was only temporary. Soon he was a normal business man again, worried about his property, his profits, his savings, his advancement in a technological society, and things in general. 1. Mr. Smith went to see his doctor because he _____. A. had little to eat B. was seriously ill C. had to sleep D. didn't feel well 2. The doctor advised Mr. Smith to do all except _____. A. talk less B. change the surroundings C. eat rich food D. take plenty of exercise 3. In the second paragraph, the word "gesture" means _____. A. body movement B. simple words C. pens and pencils D. handshakes 4. When he traveled abroad, Mr. Smith _____. A. learned boxing B. forget all about his business C. raised the level of production D. shook his head all the time 5. In the last paragraph, the word "temporary" means _____. A. lasting for a short time B. not deep C. unimportant D. developing very slowly