专升本英语阅读练习材料

第四节　专升本英语阅读练习材料

Passage 1

Energy Crisis

The energy crisis has been with us for a long time and will be with us for an even longer time． Whether Arab oil flows freely or not，it is clear to everyone that world industry cannot be allowed to depend on so breakable a base． The supply of oil can be shut off unexpectedly at any time，and in any case，the oil wells will all run dry in thirty years or so at the present rate of use．

New sources of energy must be found，but it is not likely to result in any situation which will ever restore that sense of cheap and plentiful energy we have had in the times past．

To make the situation worse，there is as yet no sign that any slowing of the world's population is in sight． Although the birthrate has dropped in some nations，including the United States，the population of the world seems sure to pass six billion as the twenty- first century opens．

Taking all these into account，what might we reasonably estimate supermarkets to be like in the year 2001?

To begin with，the world food supply is going to become steadily tighter over the next thirty years—even here in the United States． By 2001，the population of the United States will be at least two hundred fifty million，and the nation will find it difficult to expand food production to fill the additional mouths． This will be particularly true since energy shortage will make it difficult to continue agriculture in the high- energy American fashion that makes it possible to combine few farmers with high yields．

It seems almost certain that by 2001 the United States will no longer be a great exporting nation and that，if necessity forces exports，it will be at the price of belt- tightening at home．

In fact，as food items will tend to decline in quality and decrease in variety，people will have to accept more“unnatural food” ．

1． The passage is mainly concerned with__________．

A) the pressing general problem in the near future

B) energy crisis and new sources of energy

C) population and food supply in the United States

D) crisis in producing and marketing food

2． According to the passage，which of the following statements about energy crisis is true?

A) World industry can count on Arab oil for at least half a century．

B) Energy supply will be exhausted when the oil wells run dry．

C) New sources of energy will be found and there is no need for worrying．

D) The future is not happy if the current situation keeps going on．

3． When referring to the world's population，the writer implies that__________．

A) in some nations the birthrate keeps increasing

B) in the United States the birthrate keeps decreasing

C) the United States is a typical example of population explosion

D) in spite of the increased population food supply will be adequate

4． Why does the writer mention“supermarkets”in his argument?

A) To demonstrate the tightening relation between food supply and population increase．

B) To show the important role the supermarkets play in the United States．

C) To predict that in the next thirty years the US will surely be short of food．

D) To estimate how the supermarkets should be run in the twenty- first century．

5． It can be inferred that by 2001__________．

A) the United States will possibly still be a great food exporting nation

B) food exports will be forced upon the US to settle the population crisis

C) American agriculture will have to change its present way of food production

D) Food price is likely to decrease with the increasing use of“unnatural food”

Passage 2

Crimes in the United States

In spite of all stories of prosperity in the United States，not only does poverty exist there，but crimes of various types have been increasing at an alarming rate．

Most types of serious crimes increased from 363． 5 in every 100， 000 people in 1970 to 535． 5 in 1979． In that one year， there was one murder committed in every 24 minutes，one case of robbery in every 10 minutes and one case of rape in every 7 minutes． The cases of murder involved a number of 21， 456 victims． Most acts of violence were committed by young people． 57% of the criminals arrested in 1979 were youth below 25 of age．

Everyone agrees that crime is partly a result of bad material conditions: poverty，lack of education，living without a settled home，being parentless，sufferings from other kinds of misfortune，etc．

There are also other factors than material conditions which are responsible for the sharp increase of crime rate． In the first place，some state laws provide for a death penalty but some not． Secondly， the Constitution allows every citizen to carry weapons for his own protection． It is，therefore，possible and easy for anyone in the country to get a gun． Finally，there has been too much shown on TV and too much reported in newspaper of all kinds of crimes—the details of which are so accurately described that even children know how to duplicate what they have seen or read． All these have resulted in a higher frequency of crimes committed both by professional criminals and by nonprofessional ones in murder，drug smuggling，robbery，pocket- picking，etc．

1． In this passage，the author intends to tell the reader that__________．

A) the United States is a wealthy country although poverty and crime exist there

B) crime has become a serious problem in the United States although it is said to be a prosperous country

C) despite the fact that crimes have been increasing rapidly in the United States，it is a country of prosperity

D) in spite of stories about poverty and crime in the United States， it is prospering at an increasing rate．

2． In 1979，there was one murder committed__________．

A) in every 24 minutes　　　　B) in every 10 minutes

C) in every 100， 000 people　　D) in every 7 minutes

3． Which of the following is not mentioned but implied by the author as responsible for the sharp increase of crime rate?

A) Being poor．　　　　　　　B) Being parentless．

C) Being unemployed．　　　　D) Being homeless．

4． Which of the following statements is not true according to the passage?

A) Everyone agrees that a bad material condition is the only reason for crime．

B) The constitution of the U． S． guarantees the right of every citizen to possess weapons for his own protection．

C) Too much crime shown on TV has，at least partly，resulted in a higher rate of crime in the U． S．

D) More than half of the criminals arrested in 1979 were young people under 25．

5． The tone of the author in this passage is one of__________．

A) anger　　　　　B) sadness

C) matter- of- factness　　　　D) hopelessness

Passage 3

Parrots

Parrots are becoming one of the most popular pets in America and for good reason． The parrot is an extraordinary bird that can be taught to talk， can be easily cared for，and can create a lively atmosphere anywhere． With the help of an energetic parrot owner，a parrot can develop an enormous vocabulary． In addition，a parrot can be trained to say“Pretty boy” or“Polly wants a cracker， ” and it also can learn to whistle or sing． No matter what an owner decides to teach a bird，training a parrot takes much patience，but the reward is a stream of chatter． An other reason for the parrot's popularity is that this pet does not require much care．For example，even a spoiled parrot does not need a housesitter for the purpose of daily walks and daily feeding． In fact， a parrot owner may leave his or her pet with enough food for five days and have no fear that the parrot will overeat． Still another advantage of owning a parrot is its inexpensive food，including seeds，nuts，corn，and grain—along with an apple，banana，or carrot． Perhaps the most likely reason the parrot is becoming such a well- liked pet is that it is a combination of tameness and wildness． Because the parrot can live in almost any environment，it makes a fine，tame companion for many people． In addition，because it can be easily trained，it is a delightful performer． At the same time，its colorful feathers give it an air of the mystery of the parrot's native home，the jungle． Thus，the parrot，once a highly valued gift presented to kings and noble families，is now appreciated by a growing number of people．

1． A parrot can be trained to do all the following but__________．

A) talk　　　　　B) help its owner

C) sing　　　　　D) create a lively atmosphere

2． Which of the following is not a reason for the easy raising of the parrot?

A) It eats very little．

B) Its food is inexpensive

C) It does not need a housesitter．

D) It does not require daily walks as dogs do．

3． The word“tameness”in the passage means__________．

A) the quality of being brave or unafraid

B) the quality of being kind or warm- hearted

C) the quality of being uncontrolled or fierce

D) the quality of being gentle or trained

4． The word“jungle”probably means__________．

A) boundless desert with very little plant life

B) large apartment building with pleasing surroundings

C) wild land overgrown with thick bushes and trees

D) snow- covered mountain top in very cold areas

5． The writer__________．

A) likes the parrot

B) dislikes the parrot

C) does not like nor dislike the parrot

D) values the parrot highly

Passage 4

What Is a Lie?

What exactly is a lie? Is it anything we say which we know is untrue? Or is it something more than that? For example，suppose a friend wants to borrow some money from you． You say “I wish I could help you but I'm short of money my self． ” In fact，you are not short of money，but your friend is in the habit of not paying his debts and you don't want to hurt his feelings by reminding him of this．Is this really a lie?

Professor Jerald Jellison of the University of Southern California has made a scientific study of lying． According to him，women are better liars than men，particularly when telling a“white lie” ，such as when a woman at a party tells another woman that she likes her dress when she really thinks it looks awful． However，this is only one side of the story． Other researchers say that men are more likely to tell more serious lies，such as making a promise which they have no intention of fulfilling． This is the kind of lie politicians and businessmen are supposed to be particularly skilled at: the lie from which the liar hopes to profit or gain in some way．

Research has also been done into the way people's behaviour changes in a number of small，apparently unimportant ways when they lie． It has been found that if they are sitting down at the time，they tend to move about in their chairs more than usual． To the trained observer they are saying“I wish I were somewhere else now” ． They also tend to touch certain parts of the face more often，in particular the nose． One explanation of this may be that lying causes a slight increase in blood pressure． The tip of the nose is very sensitive to such changes and the increased pressure makes it itch．

Another gesture which gives liars away is what the writer Desmond Morris in his book Man Watching calls“the mouth cover” ． He says there are several typical forms of this，such as covering part of the mouth with the fingers，touching the up per- lip or putting the hand at one side of the mouth． Such a gesture can be under stood as an unconscious attempt on the part of the liar to stop himself or herself from lying．

Of course，such gestures as rubbing the nose or covering the mouth or moving about in a chair cannot be taken as proof that the speaker is lying． They simply tend to occur more frequently in this situation． It is not one gesture alone that gives the liar away but a whole number of things，and in particular the context in which the lie is told．

1． According to the passage，a“white lie”seems to be a lie__________．

A) that other people believe

B) that other people don't believe

C) told in order to avoid offending someone

D) told in order to take advantage of someone

2． Research suggests that women__________．

A) are better at telling less serious lies than men

B) generally lie far more than men do

C) often make promises they intend to break

D) lie at parties more often than men do

3． Researchers find that when a person tell lies__________．

A) his blood pressure increases measurably

B) he looks very serious

C) he tends to make some small changes in his behaviour

D) he uses his unconscious mind

4． One reason people sometimes rub their noseswhen they telllie is that__________．

A) they wish they were somewhere else

B) the nose is sensitive to physical changes caused by lying

C) they want to cover their mouths

D) they are trying to stop themselves from telling lies

5． Which of the following may best betray a liar?

A) The touching of the tip of one's nose．

B) The changes of one's behaviour．

C ) “The mouth cover” gesture．

D) The circumstances in which his lie is told．

Passage 5

Fighting Against Hunger

Hunger around the world can be reduced 50 percent by the end of the 1990s．That is the conclusion of scientists and others who met in Bell agio，Italy，several months ago． The people at the meeting were experts on hunger． They reported that at least five hundred million persons in the world suffer from hunger． They noted that several nations still have severe shortages of food． But，the experts said，there is progress． For example，China and India have reduced hunger sharply in recent years，and studies have shown which methods work best at reducing hunger in other parts of the world． The experts meeting in Italy urged public officials and aid groups to take four steps to reduce hunger．

The first step is to end mass hunger of famine． They said neutral international organizations should protect civilian food supplies in areas at war． They also said nations should improve their methods of sending food to emergency locations．

The second step is to produce more food for the world's poorest families． The best way is with more modern farming methods． The green revolution made it possible for India and other nations to greatly increase harvests，yet these farming methods are far from perfect． They do not work everywhere，and they can cause environmental damage． They also must create program that bring food directly to the very poor．

The third step is to protect mothers and young children against food shortages．The experts said mothers and young children suffer the most from hunger． Many lives can be saved by making sure they are the first to get assistance．

Finally，the experts urged efforts to overcome two serious medical problems linked to food shortages． The first is a lack of iodine． One hundred ninety million persons suffer from goiter (甲状腺肿) and other illnesses because they get too little iodine． The other problem is even more widespread． It is a lack of vitamin A．Both iodine and vitamin A can be supplied．

The experts meeting in Bellagio，Italy，said taking these four steps would cut world hunger in half by the beginning of the next century．

1． The experts meeting in Italy urged public officials and aid groups to take to reduce hunger__________．

A) three stepsz　　　B) five steps

C) four steps　　　　D) a series of steps

2． The countries that have reduced hunger sharply in recent years include__________．

A) Malaysia ＆ India　　　　B) China ＆ India

C) India ＆ Singapore　　　　D) India ＆ Thailand

3． According to the passage，the green revolution is a way to increase harvests__________．

A) but it does not work everywhere

B) and it works everywhere in the world

C) but it is money consuming

D) and it works only in India

4． It is__________who suffer the most，according to the report．

A) mothers and children　　　　　B) mothers and adults

C) mothers and teenagers　　　　　D) mothers and young children

5． The two serious medical problems linked to food shortages are__________．

A) lack of iodine and vitamin A　　　　B) lack of vitamin C and iodine

C) lack of iodine and vitamin D　　　　D) all of the above

Passage 6

Making Use of Waste

In an age when waste today means a lack tomorrow，making use of every available resource becomes more and more important． As coal is being used in greater and greater amounts to produce electricity，larger amounts of ash，by- prod ucts of coal，are produced． When coal is burned in a boiler，two kinds of ash by products are produced: a heavy bottom ash and a fine- as- powder fly ash that is filtered and captured by precipitators． About 10 to 15 percent of the coal by- product is bottom ash which is used like sand on icy city streets and highways and also on highways as paving material． It is the fly ash，however，that is receiving the greater amount of attention． Fly ash may be used as an additive to concrete in the construction of dams，bricks，and roads，and can replace up to 20 percent of the cement used in concrete． As a by- product of burned coal，fly ash requires no additional expenditure of energy to be produced，where cement production requires great amounts of energy．

In addition to using fly ash as a concrete，the technology is available to ex tract the main mineral components—aluminum，silicon，and magnetics． Today，extracting these components is a very expensive process，but the time may come when it is cheaper to extract these products from ash than to mine new supplies．

1． What can be used as a material to pave roads?

A) The coal by- product．　　　　B) Additive．

C) Fine- as powder fly ash．　　　D) Both B and C．

2． What is a by- product of burned coal?

A) Aluminum，silicon，and magnetics．B) Paving material．

C) Fly ash．D) A concrete additive．

3． Fly ash can partly take the place of__________．

A) paving material　　　　B) cement

C) concrete　　　　　　　　D) the coal by- product

4． According to the passage，what attracts man's greater attention?

A) Fly ash．

B) The construction of dams，bricks，and roads．

C) Extracting aluminum，silicon，and magnetics from ash．

D) The available technology．

5． What can be extracted from fine- powder fly ash?

A) Aluminum，silicon，and magnetics．

B) Additive．

C) Paving material．

D) Cement．

Passage 7

Early Films

The earlier films were short，lasting only one minute or less． People could，for one cent，see simple action films of trains，fire engines，parades，crowds on city streets，and similar subjects． Soon 20- minute pictures of news items were being shown in theaters at the end of the regular stage show． Later，films used a new method ( putting the beginning of one scene upon the end of the scene before) for magical effects and to tie a story together． In 1903 a film was made about a train robbery． Much of the action took place at the same time—the robbers escaping，the men meeting and planning to capture them—and the scenes moved smoothly，back and forth，from one scene to another instead of unnaturally showing each scene separately． This was the earliest successful film in which scenes were filmed at different places and times and then combined to make a logical story． A short time later， theaters showed for five cents a whole hour's entertainment of short films— comedy，travel，and drama． These films were simple and rough，and many were vulgar． Gradually，the tastes of the audiences improved as the techniques improved．

Before 1910 actors were employed in films without their names being given，because the producers were afraid that，if an actor became well known，he might demand more money． But later it became known that a film with a popular actor in it could be sold at higher price to theater owners than could a film in which the ac tor was not known． Soon“movie stars” won fame wherever films were shown． By 1915 the most popular stars were earning as much as $2， 000 a week，and large theaters were being built downtown in all the larger cities to show films alone． The films shown in those theaters were of several types: comedies，emphasizing speed，movement，and camera tricks ; “westerns” ，which showed，then as now，the American cowboy fighting on the side of law and justice; murder mysteries and crime stories，and special films on art，music，and other cultural subjects．

1． Pictures of parades shown in the first filmswent on for no more than__________．

A) one minute　　　　B) 20 minutes

C) 1 whole hour　　　　D) about two minutes

2． It was not until 1903 that people began to make films__________．

A) by using magical effects

B) by naturally joining the scenes together in a story

C) at a railroad station

D) by putting the beginning of one scene upon the end of another

3． The first successful film in which the pictures were taken at different places and times and then put together logically was about__________．

A) a train accident　　　　B) the robbery of a train

C) a story of a train　　　D) the capturing of the robbers

4． It was most likely that“movie stars”began to appear__________．

A) as early as 1903　　　　B) not until 1910

C) in 1915　　　　　　　　　D) after 1915

5． This passage is mainly about__________．

A) modern movie development

B) early movie stars

C) various types of films in the early 20th century

D) history of film- making

Passage 8

Let Children Learn by Themselves

Let children learn to judge their own work． A child learning to talk does not learn by being corrected all the time． If corrected too much，he will stop talking．He notices a thousand times a day the difference between the language he uses and the language like other people's． In the same way，children learning to do all the other things they learn without being taught—to walk，run，climb，whistle，ride a bicycle—compare their own performances with those of more skilled people，and slowly make the needed changes． But in school we never give a child a chance to find out his mistakes for himself，let alone correct them． We do it all for him．We act as if we thought that he would never notice a mistake unless it was pointed out to him， or correct it unless he was made to． Soon he becomes dependent on the teacher． Let him do it himself． Let him work out， with the help of other children if he wants it，what this word says，what the answer is to that problem，whether this is a good way of saying or doing this or not．

If it is a matter of right answers，as it may be in mathematics or science，give him the answer book． Let him correct his own papers． Why should we teachers waste time on such routine work? Our job should be to help the child when he tells us that he can't find the way to get the right answer． Let's end all this nonsense of grades，exams，marks． Let us throw them all out，and let the children learn what all educated persons must someday learn，how to measure their own understanding，how to know what they know or do not know．

Let them get on with this job in the way that seems most sensible to them，with our help as school teachers if they ask for it． The idea that there is a body of knowledge to be　learnt at school and used for the rest of one's life is nonsense in a world as complicated and rapidly changing as ours． Anxious parents and teachers say ，“But suppose they fail to learn something essential，something they will need to get on the world?” Don't worry! If it is essential，they will go out into the world and learn it．

1． What does the author think is the best way for children to learn things?

A) By imitating what other people do．

B) By making mistakes and having them corrected．

C) By listening to explanations from learned people．

D) By asking a great many questions．

2． What does the author think the teacher should not do?

A) They give children correct answers．

B) They point out children's mistakes to them．

C) They allow children to mark their own work．

D) They encourage children to copy from one another．

3． The passage suggests that learning to speakand learning to ride a bicycle are__________．

A) not really important skills

B) as important as other skills

C) basically different from learning other skills

D) basically the same as learning other skills

4． Exams，grades and marks should be abolished because children's progress should only be estimated by__________．

A) educated persons　　　　B) the children themselves

C) each other　　　　　　　D) parents

5． The author fears that children will grow up into adults who are__________．

A) too independent of others　　　　B) too critical of themselves

C) unable to think for themselves　　　　D) unable to use basic skills

Passage 9

The Father and His Child's Achievement

A father's relationship to his child's current and future academic success and the level of his or her development in academic potential and scholastic achievement are both factors with some rather interesting implications that educators are beginning to study and appraise．

A recent survey of over 16， 000 children made by the National Child Development　Study in London，England，revealed that children whose fathers came to school conferences and accompanied their children on outings did measurably better in school than did those children whose fathers were not involved in these activities． The study，which monitored children born during a week in March，1958，from the time of their birth through the years of their early schooling，further re vealed that the children of actively involved fathers scored as much as seven months higher in reading and math than did those children whose only involved parent was the mother． The purpose of the study was to evaluate the role played by fathers in the raising of a child． It indicated a much higher level of parental in volvement by the father than had been anticipated． Over 66% of the fathers were said to have played a major role in parental responsibility．

The study also suggested that the greatest level of paternal parenting took place in the families of only children． As the number of children and financial ob ligations increased，the father's apparent interest and involvement with the children decreased． However， no matter what the size or financial condition of the family， a father's active participation in the child's development made a definite difference in the child's progress．

The study further revealed that while the frequency of overnight absences reflected a corresponding deficiency of the child's level in math and reading，a father's employment on late shifts appeared to have little effect on the child's academic progress． The data from the study was obtained primarily through interviews from parents，teachers and physicians．

1． The main discovery in the study made by some scientists was that__________．

A) children in large families tended to do poorly in school

B) the father's influence played a significant factor in the level of child's academic progress

C) mothers were subjective in evaluating the roles played by fathers

D) there was a correlation between socio- economic status and scholastic achievement

2． The data accumulated was most probably obtained through__________．

A) observations by social psychologists

B) conversations with mothers of the children

C) interview，school records and physicians' reports

D) observations of fathers with their children

3． All of the children studied__________．

A) attended the same school

B) lived in the same neighborhood

C) were in the same socio- economic class

D) were of the same age

4． Children who tended to make greater progress academically were__________．

A) those whose mothers gave them the most affection

B) those who had been accompanied to school by their father

C) those from one- parent family

D) those who had no brothers or sisters

5． The percentage of fathers who played a majorrole in parenting amounted to__________．

A) about two- thirds involved in the study

B) slightly less than half of those under study

C) more than three- quarters of those being surveyed

D) slightly more than one- third involved in the observation

Passage 10

Bicycles

Some people think they have an answer to the troubles of automobile crowding and dirty air in large cities． Their answer is the bicycle，or“bike” ．

In a great many cities，hundreds of people ride bicycles to work every day． In New York City， some bike riders have even formed a group called Bike for a Better City． They claim that if more people rode bicycles to work there would be fewer automobiles in the downtown section of the city and therefore less dirty air from car engines．

For several years this group has been trying to get the city government to help bicycle riders． For example，they want the city to draw bicycle lanes on some of the main streets，because when bike riders must use the same lanes as cars，there are accidents． Bike for a Better City feels that if there were special lanes more people would use bikes．

But no bicycle lanes have been drawn． Not everyone thinks it is a good idea— they say it will slow traffic． Some store owners on the main streets say that if there is less traffic，they will have less business． And most people live too far from downtown to travel by bike．

The city government has not yet decided what to do． It wants to keep everyone happy． Only on weekends，the Central Park is closed to cars，and the roads may be used by bicycles only． But Bike for a Better City says that this is not enough and keeps fighting to get bicycle lanes downtown．

1． According to the passage，bicycles__________．

A) are more convenient than cars

B) are safer traffic tools than cars

C) are ridden by most people in the U． S．

D) are the solution to some city problems

2． The idea of special bicycle lanes is most favored by__________．

A) the city government　　　　　B) some bike riders

C) people living far from downtown　　　D) people living in countryside

3．“Bicycle lanes”probably means__________．

A) narrow passages for bicycles between buildings

B) roads full of bicycles

C) special parts of the road only for bicycle riders

D) roads for bicycles only

4． Which of the following is not true according to the passage?

A) Bike for a better City members ride bicycles to work．

B) Sometimes accidents may occur when cars and bikes are on the same lanes．

C) The Central Park is situated in the downtown section of New York．

D) In some cities of the U． S． ，many people use bikes as they have special lanes．

5． The title for this passage can be best replaced by__________．

A) Traffic Crowding in New York City

B) Air Pollution in New York City by cars

C) Special Lanes for Passengers

D) A Solution to Traffic Problem in New York

Passage 11

The Beginning of Postal Service in America

The first postal service in North America began in New England in the 17th century． All mail arriving in Massachusetts colony was sent to the home of an appointed office in Boston． In turn he would deliver the mail from Boston on horse back to its destination，receiving one penny for each good article of mail． Later in the century postal services were established between Philadelphia and Delaware． In 1691，the British crown appointed the first postmaster general to have charge of the mail for all the colonies in North America． Later，Benjamin Franklin served as the postmaster general for the British government and then was made postmaster by the newly formed United States government．

Franklin was responsible for establishing the United States postal system on a permanent basis． He increased the number of post offices，introduced the use of stagecoaches to carry mail，and started a package service system． Later，in the nineteenth century，as railroad and steam boats appeared，they were used to carry mail into the towns．

Some communities，especially those out west，were far from the services of transportation． To serve them，the post office developed a system called “star routes” ． Private contractors were paid to deliver mail to the communities from rail ways by horse and wagon． The postal service，which was started over 3 centuries ago，has developed into an extensive government service with post offices in every city，town，and village in the United States．

1． What is the subject of the passage?

A) The U． S． postal system．

B) The history of the U． S． mail．

C) A story of Benjamin Franklin．

D) Letter writing．

2． When was the first North American postal service started?

A) Two centuries ago．　　　　B) Over 300 years ago．

C) In 1691．　　　　　D) In the 16th century．

3． For what did Benjamin Franklin deserve credit?

A) He was the first postmaster general in North America．

B) He established a government postal service for Britain．

C) He served both the British and American governments．

D) He governed the postal system in the U． S．

4． Why were “star routes” started?

A) Because the horse and wagon were slow in carrying mails．

B) Because the trains were too fast．

C) Because transportation was difficult for some towns．

D) Because the communities didn't like ordinary post offices．

5． What eventually happened to the postal service?

A) It failed to serve people in remote places．

B) It developed a transport system．

C) It remained the same as it started many years before．

D) It developed all over the country．

Passage 12

Hawaii

Hawaii is an America's island state far out in the Pacific Ocean． Many of Hawaii's people are descendants of immigrants from different parts of Asia． Most of these Asians are of Japanese ancestry． The parents and grandparents of other Hawaiians came from China，the Philippine Islands，and Korea． In addition，there are some Polynesians in Hawaii． Their ancestors came to Hawaii thousands of years before any other people． Hawaii is rich in traditions． Hawaiians are Americans，but they have preserved the ceremonies of their homelands．

People from all over Hawaii come to see the Japanese O- bon Festival in memory of dead relatives and friends． This is an important part of the Buddhist religion． The O- bon ceremonies take place in July and August on Oahu，the main is land of Hawaii． There is music of drums and flutes in the courtyards of Buddhist temple． Men and women，wearing traditional clothing called kimonos，do the folk dances of their ancestral land． In the evening the people go to the seashore． They place paper lanterns on hundreds of tiny wood boats． These lights lead the souls of the dead across the dark water to rest until the next year．

Chinese Hawaiians have their own way of celebrating the past． For the Moon Festival mid- August，Chinese stores sell delicious round cakes filled with meat．On the night of the full moon， families get together in a garden or open- air space to eat these cakes and drink tea． The cakes are the same shape as the bright moon they see in the sky． Then the people remember how their ancestors won a war by sending secret messages to each other in round cakes． The Moon Festival is important because it helps Chinese- Hawaiians to recall the story of their brave ancestors．

1． According to the passage，most Asians in Hawaii__________．

A) are of Chinese ancestry

B) are from the mainland of America

C) are descendants of immigrants from Japan

D) are from different parts of Asia

2． The first settlers in Hawaii were__________．

A) Polynesians　　B) Chinese　　C) Japanese　　D) Europeans

3． The Japanese celebrate the O- bon Festival with__________．

A) a feast in a garden　　B) music and fold dancing

C) a boat trip to Japan　　D) their relatives and friends

4． According to the last paragraph，the ancient Chinese won a war__________．

A) by filling round cakes with secrets

B) by using round cakes to send messages

C) with round cakes as a weapon

D) on the night of the full moon

5． What is the main idea of the passage?

A) Hawaiians are not pure Americans．

B) Hawaii used to belong to Asia．

C) Asian- Hawaiians have preserved their traditional ceremonies．

D) Hawaii is a place with different religions

Passage 13

The Invention of Words

How men first learnt to invent words is unknown; in other words， the origin of language is a mystery． All we really know is that men，unlike animals，somehow invented certain sounds to express thoughts and feelings，actions and things，so that they could communicate with each other; and that later they agreed upon certain signs，called letters，which could be combined to represent those sounds，and which could be written down． Those sounds，whether spoken，or written in letters we call words．

The power of words，then，lies in their associations: the things they bring up in our minds． Words become filled with meanings for us by experience; and the longer we live，the more certain words recall to us the glad and sad events of our past; and the more we read and learn，the larger the number of words that mean something to us．

Great writers are those who not only have great thoughts but also express these thoughts in words which appeal powerfully to our minds and emotions． This charming and telling the use of words is what we call literary style． Above all，the real poet is a master of words． He can convey his meaning in words which sing like mu sic，and which by their position and association can move men to tears． We should therefore learn to choose our words carefully and use them accurately，or they will make our speech silly and vulgar．

1． One of the reasons why men invented certain sounds to express thoughts and actions was that__________．

A) they could agree upon certain signs

B) they could write them down

C) they could communicate with each other

D) they could combine them

2． What is true about words?

A) They are used to express feelings only．

B) They cannot be written down．

C) They are simply sounds．

D) They are mysterious．

3． Which of the following statements is true?

A) The more we read and learn，the more ignorant we are．

B) The more we read and learn，the more confused we will be．

C) The more we read and learn，the more learned we are．

D) The more we read and learn，the more snobbish we become．

4． In expressing their thoughts，great writers are able__________．

A) to confound the readers　　B) to move them to tears

C) to move our action　　　D) to puzzle our feelings

5． We can make our speech refined and polished__________．

A) by using words at random

B) by using bombastic words

C) by using words with care and accuracy

D) by using resounding words

Passage 14

One or Two Pieces?

Joe Biggs was a butcher． His shop was in a village in one of the most beautiful parts of the south of England，and he worked in it for many years while his father was there． Then，when his father reached the age of 65，he stopped working in the shop，and Joe was alone in it，so he had to work harder．

Joe worked five and a half days a week． His shop shut at one o'clock on Thursdays，and it was shut the whole Sundays． Saturdays were the busiest days．

Most of Joe's meat came to his shop from the nearest town，but sometimes he got up earlier than usual in the morning and drove into the city to choose meat． It was cheaper there．

Joe had a big refrigerator in his store，but he tried not to buy too much meat at a time and so sell it before he bought more．

One Thursday a woman came into the shop at five minutes to one． “I'm sorry I'm late but some people have just telephoned to say that they are going to come to dinner tonight，and I need some more meat． ”

Joe only had one piece of good meat in the shop． He had sold all the others earlier in the day． He took the piece out and said to the woman ， “ This is $6．50． ”

“That piece is too small， ” the woman answered． “Haven't you got anything bigger?”

Joe went into the room behind his shop， opened the refrigerator， put the piece of meat into it，took it out again and shut the door of the refrigerator with a lot of noise． Then he brought the piece of meat back to the woman and said． “This piece is bigger and more expensive． It's $8． 75． ”

“Good， ” the woman answered with a smile．“Give me both of them，please． ”

1． Joe Bigger had to work alone when__________．

A) his father died　　　　B) his father was not there

C) his father stopped working　　　　D) his father fell ill

2． Joe got most of his meat__________．

A) from a town near his village　　　B) by driving into the city

C) from his big refrigerator　　　D) from the nearest village

3． Joe always tried not to buy too much meat at a time because__________．

A) the refrigerator in his shop was not big enough

B) there were not many people in the village who liked meat

C) he did not sell meat every day

D) he wanted to sell fresh meat

4． A woman came to the shop just before it closed because__________．

A) she did not have any good meat at home

B) some of her friends were coming to dinner

C) she knew it was the best time for shopping

D) she did not know the shop would close at one

5． The woman wanted to buy both pieces of meat__________．

A) because she knew Joe's trick

B) so that there would be enough meat for dinner

C) because she thought they were fairly cheap

D) because her refrigerator was big enough to keep both pieces

Passage 15

Hair Care

Whether the hair is long or short，it must be regularly brushed and regularly washed． For greasy hair，especially if the owner lives in a town，it may be necessary to wash the head every four to five days． Those with a dry hair can usually go a little longer，but this is a matter for the individual to decide．

If a woman is not able to go to hairdresser very often，it is important that she chooses a style she can easily manage for herself，and this nearly always means that the first cut must be very standard． The same applies to permanent waving． I deally this should be carried out three or four times a year，so that the hair never gets out of hand．

One thing should be remembered，though，that is，whatever you apply to the head can have some effects upon the skin and therefore anything strong should be used with care． Or you may use milder products． As for style， this must be studied according to what is the latest fashion and also to suit the individual at different times of her life．

Young people who have spots or skin troubles on their faces，should take particular care to ensure that the hair is both clean and does not come into contact with the affected piece of skin． Hair is very difficult to keep completely clean and therefore anyone running their hands through their hair and afterwards touching their face， or letting their hair fall over their faces， might spread infection from one place to another． Good hair does a lot to the effect of a face，so if you want to look charming，please start with your hair．

1． According to the text，the most basic thing to do in hair care is__________．

A) to go to hairdressers very often

B) to choose better milder products for the hair

C) to wash and brush the hair regularly

D) to keep the hair away from the skin trouble

2． The best hair style can be achieved by__________．

A) having the hair done three or four times a year

B) following the latest fashion to suit one's age

C) not combing the hair with hand

D) not applying anything strong to the head

3． The thing you wash your hair with must be__________．

A) used with care　　　　B) very strong

C) extremely mild　　　　D) fashionable

4． To prevent the hair from infecting the skin，we'd better__________．

A) keep the hair completely clean

B) wash the hair very often

C) have hair cut four times a year

D) avoid combing the hair with our hands

5． “Those with a dry hair can usually go a little longer”means if your hair is dry__________．

A) you can walk longer

B) your hair can grow longer

C) you don't have to wash it so often

D) you can grow taller

Passage 16

Electricity

Electricity is such a part of our everyday life and so ordinary a thing nowadays that we rarely think twice when we turn on the light or the radio． At night，roads are brightly lit，making people and traffic move freely． In the home，many labour- saving devices are powered by electricity． Even when we turn off the bedside lamp and are fast asleep，electricity is working for us，driving our ice- boxes，heating our water，or keeping our rooms warm． Every day，electric trains take us to and from work． We rarely bother to consider why or how they run—until something goes wrong．

In the summer of 1959， something did go wrong with the power plant that provided New York with electricity． For a great many hours，life came almost to a stop． Trains refused to move and the people in them sat in the dark，powerless to do anything; lifts stopped working，so that even if you were lucky enough not to be stopped between two floors，you had the unpleasant task of finding your way down hundreds of flight of stairs． People were afraid to leave their houses，for although the police had been ordered to stand by in case of emergency，they were just as confused and helpless as anybody else． The only people who were not troubled by the darkness were the blind． One of the strangest things that occurred during the power- cut was that some fifty blind people led many sighted workers home． When the lights came on again，hardly a person in the city can have turned on switch without thinking how great a servant he had at hand．

1． Which of the following can be the main idea of the first paragraph?

A) Electricity has been used in some ways．

B) Our life cannot be separated from electricity．

C) Electricity enables people and traffic to move easily at night

D) We seldom think of how useful electricity is．

2． The word“they” ( Para． 1)refers to__________．

A) electric trains　　　　B) labour- saving devices

C) ice- boxes　　　　　　D) rooms

3． When there was a power- cut in New York;the police__________．

A) could do little to deal with the situation

B) were not informed of the accident in time

C) failed to keep order in the streets

D) remained calmer than the other people

4． The example of the power- cut in New York is toprove__________．

A) the troubles of the sighted workers

B) the blind's readiness to help others

C) the great importance of electricity

D) the disadvantages of the power plant

5． According to the passage，during the power- cut__________．

A) most people had trouble in finding the switches

B) many sighted workers returned home with the help of the blind

C) servants were also helpful in keeping social orders

D) people had to leave the city for some time

Passage 17

Nobel Prizes

Nobel Prizes are annual awards made to persons who have contributed to the“good of humanity ” ．When Alfred Nobel died he left a fund of about$9， 000， 000． He directed that the interest be distributed yearly in five equal pri zes as follows:

1 and 2． For the most important discoveries in physics and chemistry． Awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences．

3． For the most important discovery in physiology or medicine． Given by the Royal Caroline Institute in Sweden．

4． For the most important work in idealistic literature． Awarded by the Swed ish Academy．

5． For the most important work in the interest of world peace． Awarded by the Nobel Committee of the Norwegian Storing ( parliament) ．

A sixth prize，the Economic Science Prize，was established in memory of Nobel by the Swedish National Bank in 1968 and was first awarded in 1969． It is sometimes referred to as a Nobel Prize． It is actually a separate award，although it is administered in the same way as the Nobel Prizes and has the same cash value．It is awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences．

Candidates for prizes do not apply for them directly． Awards are made on the recommendation of eminent scholars，former Nobel Prize winners，and learned societies．

Each award consists of cash，a gold medal，and a scroll． The amount of the cash prize with the amount of interest accumulated during the year． The amount for each prize has increased steadily since 1953，when the Nobel Foundation ( which administers the funds) began diversifying its investments． Today each prize exceeds $100， 000．

In some years a prize in one or more of the categories is split among two or more persons，either for the same achievement or for different achievements．Sometimes the award in one or more of the categories is not made，or is made in a later year． A prize may be given to an organization．

1． Which of the following is not listed in the categories of Nobel Prizes?

A) Chemistry．　　B) Psychology．　　C) Physiology．　　D) Literature．

2． Which of the following statements about the sixth prize is true?

A) It was added later by Nobel himself．

B) It is given to an organization rather than an individual．

C) It is a separate award though sometimes referred to as Nobel Prize．

D) It was first awarded the year it was established．

3． The word“learned” in“learned societies”means__________．

A) informed　　B) studied　　C) experienced　　D) scholarly

4． The amount of the cash prize__________．

A) remains the same every year

B) has varied wildly since 1953

C) is over $100， 000 each now

D) has increased since 1953 because the Foundation collects more interest from the banks．

5． In this passage the author intends__________．

A) to give a general account of Nobel Prizes

B) to comment on the work of the Nobel Foundation

C) to present Nobel as an eminent scientist

D) to evaluate the role of Nobel Prizes in the advancement of learning

Passage 18

Advertising

Advertising can be thought of“as the means of making known in order to buy or sell goods or services” ． Advertising aims to increase people's awareness and a rouse interest． It tries to inform and to persuade． The media are all used to spread the message． The press offers a fairly cheap method． Magazines are used to reach special sections of the market． The cinema and commercial radio are useful for lo cal markets． Television，although more expensive，can be very effective． Posters are fairly cheap and more permanent in their power of attraction． Other ways of in creasing consumers' interest are through exhibitions and trade fairs as well as direct mail advertising．

There can be no doubt that the growth in advertising is one of the most striking features of the western world in this century． Many businesses such as those handling frozen foods，liquor，tobacco and patent medicines have been built up largely by advertising．

We might ask whether the cost of advertising is paid for by the manufacturer or by the customer． Since advertising forms part of the cost of production，which has to be covered by the selling price，it is clear that it is the customer who pays for advertising． However，if large- scale advertising leads to increased demand，production costs are reduced，and the customer pays less．

It is difficult to measure exactly the influence of advertising on sales． When the market is growing，advertising helps to increase demand． When the market is shrinking，advertising may prevent a bigger fall in sales than would occur without its support． What is clear is that businesses would not pay large sums for advertising if they were not convinced of its value to them．

1． Advertising is often used to__________．

A) deceive customers　　B) increase production

C) arouse suspicion　　D) push the sale

2． The word“media” ( 1st paragraph)refers to__________．

A) the press　　B) television　　C) radio　　D) All of the a bove．

3． Advertising is in the main paid for by__________．

A) the customer　　B) the manufacturer

C) increased sales　　D) reduced prices

4． The influence of advertising cannot be measured__________．

A) with a machine　　B) at all

C) scientifically　　D) without difficulty

5． What the last sentence of this passage actually tells us is that__________．

A) businesses usually do not pay much for advertising

B) businessmen know well that advertising could bring them more profits

C) advertising could hardly convince people of the value of the goods

D) advertising usually cost businesses large amounts of money

Passage 19

The Gardens of Japan

No garden lover can fail to be fascinated by the gardens of Japan，so different from anything in the European tradition． The Japanese gardening ideal is not an arrangement of flowers and plants， formal or informal， but the creation of a miniature landscape in which the designer's view of nature is expressed in a small space on a small scale． Art is hidden by art． Trees and bushes，rocks and ponds，little singing streams winding round thinly islands refresh the spirit with their gentle naturalness， but they have all been carefully positioned by the landscape garden designer．

Japanese gardens are full of ancient tradition and symbolic meaning，and many date back as far as AD 600． Streams run from east to west because east is the source of purity and west of impurity． Turtles symbolize long life，so a turtle shaped rock is always popular． A pine tree twisted in the shape of a crane，a bird that mates for life，represents good luck and lasting companionship． The golden chrysanthemum，a symbol of the Imperial family，is cultivated in many shades and forms． The delicate blossom of the cherry tree symbolizes the speed with which life fades，while the cherry fruit stands for loyalty． And a cherry blossom party in the spring is a very lively occasion!

The Japanese garden designer is a master of nature because he loves the mastery of nature．

1． According to the passage，cranes can be symbolic of__________．

A) a long life　　B) friendship　　C) good luck　　D) loyalty

2． The word“miniature”( Para． 1)probably means__________．

A) beautiful　　B) tiny　　C) unique　　D) complex

3． Everything in a Japanese garden is carefully placed to__________．

A) show the beauty of gardening　　B) show love for nature

C) hold a spring party　　D) present a miniature landscape

4． According to the writer，Japanese gardens have all the following features except

for being__________．

A) simple and casual　　　　B) different from other countries

C) creative and symbolic　　　　D) small but meaningful

5． This passage is mainly about__________．

A) symbols of life　　　　B) traditions of the Japanese

C) a hidden art in gardens　　　　D) Japanese gardens

Passage 20

Women in Britain

It is only seventy years since British women got the right to vote． Some people think this is the main reason women are so under- represented in politics，trade unions and big businesses． Others feel it is simply that they are much too busy doing other things． The old saying“a woman's place is in the home”may seem out of date to most people，but the old，fixed image of a woman as a supporting wife and caring mother is certainly still usual—one only has to watch a few television ads．

In 1975 the law did not allow women to be paid less than men doing the same work． Certainly it is usually the case nowadays that women doing the same jobs as men get the same money for doing it; but generally women do not do the same jobs: they do different ones that offer lower salaries． The areas women work in are almost all those of“service” : teaching，nursing，catering and cleaning，jobs that can be seen as an extension of the mothering role．

Apart from looking after people during the day at work，women often have to take care of a family at home too，which may mean they have less energy to compete in the race for professional development． In almost every field，top positions are more likely to be filled by men． While most teachers are women，for example，most headmasters are not． School cooks are women，head cooks are men and even cleaners tend to be watched over and directed by male caretakers．

1． Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A) Many women's places are still in the home．

B) Women's places are no longer in the home．

C) Many women's jobs have something to do with TV．

D) Women's jobs are less important than before．

2． Now women are__________．

A) doing the same jobs as men

B) in need of more new services

C) not doing the same jobs as men

D) paid more attention to than before

3． In Para． 2，the word“catering”may mean__________．

A) preparing meals　　　　B) writing articles

C) running a school　　　　D) watching TV programmes

4． From the passage，we can see that__________．

A) it's better for a woman to stay at home

B) women need much more education to deal successfully with professional tasks

C) there is still a long way for women to go to get equal opportunities

D) women should be at the top positions in their working places

5． The writer tells us that ______．

A) women are kept busy all day long

B) women usually learn things faster than men

C) some women teachers cook better than their husbands

D) some women have to do cleaning at night

Passage 21

Factors Influencing Marriage

The common view in social science of love relationships is not that opposites attract but that like attracts like． People fall in love with others who share their interests and tastes and whose personalities are similar． Hill，Rubin，and Peplau( 1976) found only slight support for this view． On a great many characteristics，couples were not alike． On others，couples were only somewhat alike． Couples did tend to be about the same age，to be equally good looking，to have similar IQ scores，to be of the same religion，and to want the same number of children． But on each of these things，quite a few couples differed from one another． In fact，on only one question did most agree on whether they were“in love” ．

The early interviews failed to find that being alike was very important in bringing couples together． The follow- up interviews found that similarities were much more important in keeping couples together． Those who were together after two years were much more closely matched than couples who broke up，especially in terms of age，IQ，college plans，and looks． Thus，couples were much more likely to break up if one person was a lot smarter，better looking，or older． It is easy to imagine why these differences would matter． If one person is much smarter or more mature than the other，this could cause conflicts． If one person is much better looking，he or she will have more chances for other relationships．

Yet other things that would seem as important turned out not to matter． Those who stayed together differed not at all from those who broke up in how alike they were on religion，sex role ideas，beliefs about sex，idealism，or the number of children they wanted． Surely，one might suppose that marked differences in sex role attitudes could cause friction or that religious differences might lead to breakups． But there was no evidence of this．

In fact，conflict was not one of the main reasons people gave for breaking up．Most said they broke up because they got bored with the other person． Often this caused one of the pair to become interested in someone else，thus prompting the split． Perhaps surprisingly，the woman got involved with someone else far more often than the man． Also，women were much more likely to suggest a breakup than men，regardless of the grounds． However，people were more likely to remain friends after the breakup if the man asked for the split． This suggests that the male ego is more sensitive to rejection．

1． The subject of the article is___________．

A) dating couples　　　　　B) similarities within couples

C) dating selections of college men　　　D) patterns in marriage and divorce

2． The view that“like attracts like”___________．

A) was proved false　　　　B) received slight support

C) was definitely proved　　　　D) is unpopular in social science

3． Similarities within couples were most important in___________．

A) bringing couples together

B) keeping couples together

C) getting along with the partner's family

D) avoiding conflict

4． One similarity that seemed important to the success of a relationship was___________．

A) religion　　　B) sex roles

C) number of children wanted　　　D) physical attractiveness

5． The main reason for breakup was___________．

A) conflict　　　B) family pressure

C) boredom　　　D) money problems

Passage 22

The Society of Ants

Through a series of experiments an American scientist has obtained an under standing of the social structure of the most complex ant societies． The ants examined are the only creatures other than man to have given up hunting and collecting for a completely agricultural way of life． In their underground nests they cultivate gardens on soil made from finely chopped leaves． This is a complex operation re quiring considerable division of labour． The workers of this type of ants can be divided into four groups according to size． Each of the group performs a particular set of jobs．

The making and care of the gardens and the nursing of the young ants are done by the smallest workers． Slightly larger workers are responsible for chopping up leaves to make them suitable for use in the gardens and for cleaning the nest． A third group of still larger ants do the construction work and collect fresh leaves from outside the nest． The largest are the soldier ants，responsible for defending the nest．

To find out how good the various size- groups are at different tasks，the scientist measured the amount of work done by the ants against the amount of energy they used． He examined first the gathering and carrying of leaves． He selected one of the size- groups，and then measured how efficiently these ants could find leaves and run back to the nest． Then he repeated the experiment for each of the other size- groups． In this way he could see whether any group could do the job more efficiently than the group normally undertaking it．

The intermediate- sized ants that normally perform this task proved to be the most efficient for their energy costs，but when the scientist examined the whole set of jobs performed by each group of ants，it appeared that some sizes of worker ants were not ideally suited to the particular jobs they performed．

1． In which way are the ants different from other nonhuman societies?

A) They do not need to search for food．

B) They do not need to look for shelter．

C) Individuals vary in social status．

D) Individuals perform different functions

2． It seems that smaller ants perform more of the___________．

A) construction tasks　　　B) domestic tasks

C) defensive work　　　D) heavy work

3． The word“good”refers to the ants'___________．

A) co- operation in working　　　B) sense of responsibility

C) efficiency in working　　　D) willingness to work hard

4． The scientist's work was based on___________．

A) occasional observations　　　B) systematic observations

C) observations of several nests　　　D) observations of an undisturbed nest

5． The organization of the ants has the effect of___________．

A) getting the most work done

B) dividing the work up systematically

C) protecting the young more effectively

D) each ant doing what it can do best

Passage 23

Humorous Story

The humorous story may be spun out to great length，and may wander around as much as it pleases，and arrive nowhere in particular; but the comic story and the witty story must be brief and end with a point． The humorous story bubbles gently along the other two bursts．

The humorous story is strictly a work of art—high and delicate art—and only an artist can tell it; but no art is necessary in telling the comic and witty stories，anybody can do it． The art of telling a humorous story—I mean by word of mouth，not print—was created in America，and has remained at home．

The humorous story is told gravely; the teller does his best to conceal the fact that he even dimly suspects that there is anything funny about it; but the teller of the comic story tells you beforehand that it is one of the funniest things he has ever heard，then tells it with eager delight，and is the first person to laugh when he gets through． And sometimes if he has had good success，he is so glad and happy that he will repeat the nub of it and glance around from face to face，collecting applause，and then repeat it again． It is a pathetic thing to see．

1． Which story takes the longest to tell?

A) The humorous story．

B) The witty story．

C) The comic story．

D) All three take the same amount of time．

2． Which story has no particular point?

A) The humorous story．　　　B) The witty story．

C) The comic story．　　　D) All three．

3． The humorous story___________．

A) was created abroad

B) is essentially American

C) is also appreciated in other countries

D) is more popular in other countries than in the U． S．

4． The teller of a humorous story___________．

A) laughs at his own joke

B) repeats it several times

C) is very serious when he tells it

D) is concerned about the reaction of his listeners

5． The teller of a comic story___________．

A) tells it only once

B) tells the listener beforehand that his story is funny

C) doesn't care whether his listeners enjoy it or not

D) is very serious when telling it

Passage 24

Three Economic Systems

There are various ways in which individual economic units can interact with one another． Three basic ways may be described as the market system，the administrated system，and the traditional system．

In a market system，individual economic units are free to interact among each other in the marketplace． It is possible to buy commodities from each economic u nits or sell commodities to them． In a market，transactions may take place via barter or money exchange． In a barter economy，real goods such as automobiles，shoes，and pizzas are traded against each other． Obviously，finding somebody who wants to trade my old car in exchange for a sailboat may not always be an easy task． Hence，the introduction of money as a medium of exchange eases transactions considerably． In the modern market economy，goods and services are bought or sold for money．

An alternative to the market system is administrative control by some agency over all transactions． This agency will issue commands as to how much of each goods and service should be produced，exchanged，and consumed by each economic unit． Central planning may be one way of administering such an economy．The central plan，drawn up by the government，shows the amounts of each com modity produced by the various firms and allocated to different households for con sumption． This is an example of complete planning of production，and exchange for the whole economy．

In a traditional society，production and consumption patterns are governed by tradition: every person's place within the economic system is fixed by parentage，religion and custom． Transactions take place on the basis of tradition，too． People belonging to a certain group or caste may have an obligation to care for their health，and provide for their education． Clearly，in a system where every decision is made on the basis of tradition alone，progress may be difficult to achieve． A stagnant society may result．

1． What is the main purpose of the passage?

A) To outline contrasting types of economic systems．

B) To explain the science of economics．

C) To argue for the superiority of one economic system．

D) To compare barter and money- exchange markets．

2． In the second paragraph，the word “real goods”could be best replaced by which of the following?

A) High quality．　　B) Concrete．　　C) Utter．　　D) Authentic．

3． According to the passage，a barter economy can lead to___________．

A) rapid speed of transactions　　B) misunderstandings

C) inflation　　　D) difficulties for the traders

4． According to the passage，who has the greatest degree of control in an administrative system?

A) Individual households．　　　B) Small businesses．

C) Major corporations．　　　D) The government．

5． Which of the following is not mentioned by the author as a criterion for determining a person's place in a traditional society?

A) Family background．　　　B) Age．

C) Religious belief．　　　D) Custom．

Passage 25

Writers' Opinions About Man

The more genius a writer has，the more conclusive and precise is his answer．Swift arrives at complete pessimism，considering men to be wretched，unfortunate，ugly，odious and absurd． Addison，on the other hand，maintains himself in a temperate optimism ，“All we have to do， ” he says“is to be easy here，and happy hereafter． ”Carlyle gives the answer of the Puritan，while Macaulay gives that of the liberal，both with striking and multiplied illustrations．

What Fielding saw in man were the spontaneous and primitive forces， the irresistible impulses and temperament of the heart，the violence of egoistic or generous instincts unrestrained by the proprieties of life or by precepts，and which impetuously and unawares leap over all barriers． Richardson saw man's intellectual and moral culture，the sway of religion，the ascendancy of principles and that domination of the conscience，which developed in us by daily self- questioning，by arguing with ourselves，by habit and scruples，installs in our soul，not nearly a witness，an overseer，an ever- living judge，but，again，an armed auxiliary，an almost in vincible combatant which reanimates us in our weaknesses．

Even when the writer is a dramatic poet，and says nothing in his own name，even when he purposely effaces himself behind his characters，his master thought remains apparent． Three or four times Shakespeare expressed his thought in passing as if he were not aware of it，through some phrase put in the mouth of Hamlet or of Macbeth，of Jacques or of Prospero: but，to divine it，there is no need of seeking it there; it everywhere and spontaneously declares itself in the selection of his figures and characters．

Various as these opinions may be， they indicate that we all belong to the same family，good or bad，rich or poor，young or old．

1． Concerning the human race and its potential，Swift and Addison___________．

A) had exactly the same views　　　B) varied lightly in their opinions

C) were diametrically opposed　　　D) expressed no opinions

2． Fielding believed that man___________．

A) concerned himself too much with the proprieties of life

B) obeyed the impulses of his heart

C) lived in an irresistible way

D) used too much force

3． Richardson's idea was that man was___________．

A) part of an armed auxiliary　　　B) always just

C) guided by his conscience　　　D) very religious

4． Most dramatists___________．

A) say what they have to say in so many words

B) use their characters as spokesmen

C) are not aware of what they are really saying

D) have profound thoughts to express

5． According to his article， a dramatic poet's greatest responsibility is to___________．

A) entertain

B) be spontaneous

C) efface himself

D) choose carefully the characters that will represent him

Passage 26

The World of Libraries

Different groups of people use libraries─teachers and students，youngsters and the elderly，police and politicians． Each group，in fact each individual has different library needs． Because no one library can meet all needs，there are different kinds of libraries．

Since the money to run a public library comes from taxes，it is a free library for the public． Such a library serves all ages and groups as an information center，as a reading- and- viewing- and- listening- for- pleasure library．

Throughout the school day，students and teachers in elementary and secondary schools need school libraries to work in． Besides books，the library may contain magazines，newspapers，maps，charts，models，teaching machines，films and slides to look at，records and tapes to listen to，and the equipment to use． There may be special study and listening areas，conference rooms，and even recording or TV studio．

An academic library is found in a college or university． Like a school library，this library is a workshop for the students and teachers，but it often has a much larger collection of books and other materials covering many special subjects．There may be separate libraries for rare books and manuscripts． Because of the vast amount of materials they deal with，some academic libraries use computers to keep track of the collections．

A special library is a part of a hospital，business，or other organizations，and it offers practical information to the workers or members． Such a library is not generally open to the public． Usually it concentrates on a particular subject or subjects．

Public，school，academic，and special libraries are the four main kinds the world over．

National libraries are the super libraries of the world，with upwards of 80 mil lion books and other materials in the largest． Because a national library serves the government of a country， it's a special library． It's also a research library for scholars． In addition，many national libraries are public in that they are for the people of an entire country．

Whatever type it is，every library serves a kind of community─a city，a school，a college or university，a hospital or engineering firm or labor union．

1． According to the passage，how many kinds of libraries are there in the world?

A) Three．　　B) Two．　　C) Four．　　D) Five．

2． Based on the passage， public libraries are financially supported by___________．

A) individuals　　　B) taxes　　C) schools　　D) states

3． Information on particular subjects is usually provided by___________．

A) public libraries　　B) special libraries

C) elementary school libraries　　D) university libraries

4． It can be concluded from the passage that a company may have a ( n)___________．

A) special library　　B) academic library

C) public library　　D) free library

5． No library can serve all people because of___________．

A) the limited space　　B) the limited service hours

C) the shortage of librarians　　D) the different needs of people

Passage 27

Breakfast

Generations of Americans have been brought up to believe that a good breakfast is one of life's essentials． Eating breakfast at the start of the day，we have all been told，is as necessary as putting gasoline in the family car before starting a trip．

But for many people thought of food the first thing in the morning is by no means a pleasure． So despite all the efforts，they still take no breakfast． Between 1977 and 1983， the latest years for which figures are available， the number of people who didn't have breakfast increased by 33 percent—from 8． 8 million to 11． 7 million—according to the Chicago- based Market Research Corporation of America．

For those who feel pain of guilt about not eating breakfast，however，there is some good news． Several studies in the last years indicate that，for adults especially，there may be nothing wrong with omitting breakfast． “Going without breakfast does not affect performance． ” said Arnold E． Bender，former professor of nutrition at Queen Elizabeth College in London ，“nor does giving people breakfast improve performance． ”

Scientific evidence linking breakfast to better health or better performance is surprisingly inadequate，and most of the recent work involves children，not adults．“The literature， ” says one researcher，Dr． Ernesto Pollittat the University of Tex as ，“is poor． ”

1． The passage is mainly concerned with___________．

A) a study of the Chicago- based Market Research Corporation

B) one of life's essentials

C) latest figures of people who don't eat breakfast

D) breakfast and human health

2． For those who do not take breakfast，the good news is that___________．

A) several studies have been done in the past few years

B) not eating breakfast does no harm to one's health

C) adults have especially made studies in this field

D) eating little in the morning may be good for health

3． In the third paragraph ，“nor does giving people breakfast improve performance”means___________．

A) anyone without breakfast does improve his performance

B) not giving people breakfast improves performance

C) people having breakfast do improve their performance

D) having breakfast does not improve performance，either

4． The word“literature”in the last sentence refers to___________．

A) stories about breakfast

B) written works on a particular subject

C) any printed materials

D) the modern novels of America

5． What is implied but not stated by the author is that___________．

A) not eating breakfast might affect the health of children

B) breakfast does not affect performance

C) Professor Bender once taught college courses in nutrition in London

D) people who don't eat breakfast have increased．

Passage 28

Introduction to a Reading Textbook

The comprehension passages on this course are designed to help you increase your reading speed． A higher reading rate，with no loss of comprehension，will help you in other subjects as well as English，and the general principles apply to any language． Naturally，you will not read every book at the same speed． You would expect to read a newspaper，for example，much more rapidly than a physics or economics textbook—but you can raise your average reading speed over the whole range of materials you wish to cover so that the percentage gains will be the same whatever kind of reading you are concerned with．

The reading passages which follow are all of an average level of difficulty for your stage of instruction． They are all about 500 words long． They are about topics of general interest which do not require a great deal of specialized knowledge． Thus they fall between the kind of reading you might find in your textbooks and the much less demanding kind you will find in a newspaper or light novel． If you read this kind of English，with understanding，at，say，400 words per minute，you might skim through a newspaper at perhaps 650- 700，while with a difficult text book you might drop to 200 or 250．

Perhaps you would like to know what reading speeds are common among native English speaking university students and how those speeds can be improved．Tests in Minnesota，U． S． A．，for example，have shown that students without special training can read English of average difficulty，for example Tolstoy's War and Peace in translation，at a speed of between 240 and 250 w． p． m． with about 70% comprehension． Minnesota claims that after 12 half- hour lessons， once a week， the reading speed can be increased，with no loss of comprehension，to around 500 w． p． m． It is further claimed that with intensive training over seventeen weeks，speed over 1000 w． p． m． can be reached，but this would be quite exceptional．

If you get to the point where you can read books of average difficulty at between 400 and 500 w． p． m． with 70% or more comprehension，you will be doing quite well，though of course any further improvement of speed- with- comprehension will be a good thing．

1． According to the passage，a higher reading rate depends on___________．

A) a large vocabulary

B) learning other subjects well besides English

C) a good comprehension of the reading texts

D) different reading speeds for different types of texts

2． According to the article，the reading passages on this course are___________．

A) more difficult than a textbook on a particular subject

B) easier than a light novel

C) more demanding than news stories

D) of the same category as novels and newspapers

3． You can expect read your textbooks___________．

A) more quickly than you read the passages on this course

B) more quickly than you read a newspaper

C) more slowly than you read the passages on this course

D) faster than any other kind of material

4． For a book of average difficulty the average untrained native speaker at university of Minnesota___________．

A) reads at 500 w． p． m．B) reads at 400 w． p． m．

C) reads at about 1000 w． p． m．D) reads at about 245 w． p． m．

5． An untrained student's reading speed can be___________with intensive training over twelve weeks．

A) increased four times　　　B) doubled

C) tripled　　　D) increased a little

Passage 29

Daydreaming

Until recently daydreaming was viewed as a waste of time． Or it was considered an unhealthy escape from real life and its duties． But now some people are taking a fresh look at daydreaming． And it may be that more people are suffering from a lack of daydreaming than are suffering from too much of it．

It now appears that a person's self- control and self- direction may suffer if he or she does not daydream at all． Such a person may become poorly equipped to deal with the pressures of daily life．

Dr． Joan T． Freyberg has concluded that daydreaming contributes to intellectual growth． It also improves concentration attention span and the ability to get a long with others，she says． Another researcher reported that daydreaming seemed to produce improved self- control and creative ability．

But that's only part of the story． The most remarkable thing about daydreaming may be its usefulness in shaping our future lives as we want them to be． Industrialist Henry J． Kaiser believed that much of his success was due to the positive use of daydreaming． He maintained that“you can imagine your future． ” Florence Nightingale dreamed of becoming a nurse． The young Thomas Edison pictured him self as an inventor． For these notable achievers，it appears that their daydreams came true．

Dr． Harry Emerson Fosdick believed that the way we picture ourselves is of ten the way we turn out． He offered this advice : “Hold a picture of yourself...in your mind's eye，and you will be drawn towards it． Picture yourself vividly as de feated，and that alone will make victory impossible． Picture yourself as winning，and that will contribute immeasurably to success． Do not picture yourself as any thing and you will drift...”

1． If one does not daydream at all，he may___________．

A) have no trouble concentrating

B) be better self- controlled

C) improve his creative abilities

D) not be mentally prepared for the strains of daily life

2． The author is more worried about people's___________．

A) imagined adventures

B) lack of daydreaming

C) having too much of daydreaming

D) imagination of the future

3． What Henry Kaiser knew as the positive use of day dreaming is___________．

A) to imagine yourself to be a nurse or an inventor

B) to shape your future the way you want it to be

C) to do more daydreaming

D) to get along with others

4． According to Harry Emerson，by imagining success we may___________．

A) learn to be happy with failure　　　B) overcome most health problems

C) achieve success　　　D) save a lot of work

5． The word“drawn”in the last paragraph means___________．

A) sketched　　B) brought　　C) carried　　D) attracted

Passage 30

How to Make a Complaint

Complaining about faulty goods or bad service is never easy． But if something you have bought is faulty or does not do what was claimed for it， you are not asking for a favor to get it put right． Complaints should be made to a responsible person．Go back to the shop where you bought the goods，taking with you the receipt you may have． In a small store the assistant may also be the owner so you can complain directly． In a chain store ask the manager． If you telephone，ask the name of the person who handles your inquiry，otherwise you may never find out who dealt with the complaint later．

Even the bravest person finds it difficult to stand up in a group of people to complain，so if you do not want to do it in person，write a letter． Stick to the facts and keep a copy of what you write． At this stage you should give any receipt numbers，but you should not need to give receipts or other papers to prove what you bought． If you are not satisfied with the answer you get，or if you do not get a re ply，write to the managing director of the firm，shop，or organization． Be sure to keep copies of your own letters and any you receive．

If your complaint is a just one，the shopkeeper may offer to replace or repair the faulty article． You find this an attractive solution． In certain cases you may have the right to refuse the goods and ask for your money back，but this is only when you have hardly used the goods and have acted at once． Even when you can not refuse the goods，you may be able to get some money back as well． And if you have suffered some special loss，if，for example，a new washing machine tears your clothes，you might receive money to replace them． If the shopkeeper offers you a credit note to be used to buy goods in the same shop but the shop would rather have money，remember that later you will not be able to ask for your money． If the shopkeeper refuses to give you money，ask for advice from your Citizens' Ad vice Bureau before you accept a credit note． In some cases the shopkeeper does not give you your money back—if，for example，he changes an article simply be cause you don't like it or it does not fit． He does not have to take back the goods in these circumstances．

1． When complaining on the telephone___________．

A) you should speak directly to the owner

B) you must ask for the manager

C) you may never find out who dealt with the matter

D) you should find out with whom you discuss the matter

2． You can demand your money back only if．

A) the article cannot be replaced or repaired

B) you have gone back immediately

C) the article has not gone up in price since you bought it

D) the article has had hard wear．

3． If you accept a credit note，you___________．

A) can use it in another shop

B) can't say you would have preferred the money

C) can ask for your money later

D) can't use it anywhere else

4． If a shopkeeper will not give you money，you should___________．

A) take a credit note instead　　　B) refuse to leave the shop

C) ask your office for advice　　　D) find out your lawful rights

5． The shopkeeper may change an article if___________．

A) he gives you your money back　　　B) he thinks it is unprofitable

C) it is the wrong size　　　D) he doesn't like it．

Answers:

Passage 11． A　2． D3． A　4． A　5． C

Passage 21． B　2． A3． C　4． A　5． C

Passage 31． B　2． A3． D　4． C　5． A

Passage 41． C　2． A3． C　4． B　5． D

Passage 51． C　2． B3． A　4． D　5． A

Passage 61． A　2． C3． B　4． A　5． A

Passage 71． A　2． B3． D　4． B　5． D

Passage 81． A　2． B3． D　4． B　5． C

Passage 91． B　2． C3． D　4． B　5． A

Passage 10 1． D　2． B3． C　4． D　5． D

Passage 11 1． B　2． B3． D　4． C　5． D

Passage 12 1． C　2． A3． B　4． B　5． C

Passage 13 1． C　2． C3． C　4． B　5． C

Passage 14 1． C　2． A3． D　4． B　5． B

Passage 15 1． C　2． B3． A　4． D　5． C

Passage 16 1． B　2． A3． A　4． C　5． B

Passage 17 1． B　2． C3． D　4． C　5． A

Passage 18 1． D　2． D3． A　4． D　5． B

Passage 19 1． C　2． B3． B　4． A　5． D

Passage 20 1． A　2． C3． A　4． C　5． A

Passage 21 1． A　2． B3． B　4． D　5． C

Passage 22 1． A　2． B3． C　4． B　5． B

Passage 23 1． A　2． A3． B　4． C　5． B

Passage 24 1． A　2． B3． D　4． D　5． B

Passage 25 1． C　2． B3． C　4． B　5． D

Passage 26 1． C　2． B3． B　4． A　5． D

Passage 27 1． D　2． B3． D　4． B　5． A

Passage 28 1． C　2． C3． C　4． D　5． B

Passage 29 1． D　2． B3． B　4． C　5． D

Passage 30 1． D　2． B3． D　4． D　5． C