Unit 1
Part Ⅱ Reading Comprehension
(35 minutes)
Directions: There are 4 reading passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.
Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage:
We sometimes think humans are uniquely vulnerable to anxiety, but stress seems to affect the immune defenses of lower animals too. In one experiment, for example, behavioral immunologist(免疫学家) Mark Laudenslager, at the University of Denver, gave mild electric shocks to 24 rats. Half the animals could switch off the current by turning a wheel in their enclosure, while the other half could not. The rats in the two groups were paired so that each time one rat turned the wheel it protected both itself and its helpless partner from the shock. Laudenslager found that the immune response was depressed below normal in the helpless rats but not in those that could turn off the electricity. What he has demonstrated, he believes, is that lack of control over an event, not the experience itself, is what weakens the immune system.
Other researchers agree. Jay Weiss, a psychologist at Duke University School of Medicine, has shown that animals who are allowed to control unpleasant stimuli don't develop sleep disturbances or changes in brain chemistry typical of stressed rats. But if the animals are confronted with situations they have no control over, they later behave passively when faced with experiences they can control. Such findings reinforce psychologists' suspicions that the experience or perception of helplessness is one of the most harmful factors in depression. One of the most startling examples of how the mind can alter the immune response was discovered by chance. In 1975 psychologist Robert Ader at the University of Rochester School of Medicine conditioned(使形成条件反射) mice to avoid saccharin(糖精) by simultaneously feeding them the sweetener and injecting them with a drug that while suppressing their immune systems caused stomach upsets. Associating the saccharin with the stomach pains, the mice quickly learned to avoid the sweetener. In order to extinguish this dislike for the sweetener, Ader reexposed the animals to saccharin, this time without the drug, and was astonished to find that those mice that had received the highest amounts of sweetener during their earlier conditioning died. He could only speculate that he had so successfully conditioned the rats that saccharin alone now served to weaken their immune systems enough to kill them.
21. Laudenslager's experiment showed that the immune system of those rats who could turn off the electricity .
A) was altered C) was weakened
B) was strengthened D) was not affected
22. According to the passage, the experience of helplessness causes rats to .
A) turn off the electricity
B) try to control unpleasant stimuli
C) become abnormally suspicious
D) behave passively in controllable situations
23. The reason why the mice in Ader's experiment avoided saccharin was that.
A) they associated it with stomachaches
B) it affected their immune systems
C) it led to stomach pains
D) they disliked its taste
.24. The passage tells us that the most probable reason for the death of the mice in Ader's experiment was that .
A) the sweetener was poisonous to them
B) their immune systems had been altered by the mind
C) they had been weakened psychologically by the saccharin
D) they had taken too much sweetener during earlier conditioning
25. It can be concluded from the passage that the immune systems of animals .
A) can be altered by electric shocks
B) can be weakened by conditioning
C) can be suppressed by drug injections
D) can be affected by frequent doses of saccharin
Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage:
The destruction of our natural resources and contamination of our food supply continue to occur, largely because of the extreme difficulty in affixing (把……固定) legal responsibility on those who continue to treat our environment with reckless abandon (放任). Attempts to prevent pollution by legislation, economic incentives and friendly persuasion have been met by lawsuits, personal and industrial denial and long delays—not only in accepting responsibility, but more importantly, in doing something about it. It seems that only when government decides it can afford tax incentives or production sacrifices is there any initiative for change. Where is industry's and our recognition that protecting mankind's great treasure is the single most important responsibility? If ever there will be time for environmental health professionals to come to the frontlines and provide leadership to solve environmental problems, that time is now.
We are being asked, and, in fact, the public is demanding that we take positive action. It is our responsibility as professionals in environmental health to make the difference. Yes, the ecologists, the environmental activists and the conservationists serve to communicate, stimulate thinking and promote behavioral change. However, it is those of us who are paid to make the decisions to develop, improve and enforce environmental standards, I submit, who must lead the charge. We must recognize that environmental health issues do not stop at city limits, county lines, state or even federal boundaries. We can no longer afford to be tunnel-visioned in our approach. We must visualize issues from every perspective to make the objective decisions. We must express our views clearly to prevent media distortion and public confusion. I believe we have a three-part mission for the present. First, we must continue to press for improvements in the quality of life that people can make for themselves. Second, we must investigate and understand the link between environment and health. Third, we must be able to communicate technical information in a form that citizens can understand. If we can accomplish these three goals in this decade, maybe we can finally stop environmental degradation, and not merely hold it back. We will then be able to spend pollution dollars truly on prevention rather than on bandages.
26. We can infer from the first two paragraphs that the industrialists disregard environmental protection chiefly because .
A) it is difficult for them to take effective measures
B) time has not yet come for them to put due emphasis on it
C) they are reluctant to sacrifice their own economic interests
D) they are unaware of the consequences of what they are doing
.27. The main task now facing ecologists, environmental activists and conservationists is .
A) to arouse public awareness of the importance of environmental protection
B) to prevent pollution by legislation, economic incentives and persuasion
C) to improve the quality of life by enforcing environmental standards
D) to take radical measures to control environmental pollution
28. The word “tunnel-visioned”(Line 2, Para.4) most probably means “ ”.
A) narrow-minded C) able to see only one aspect
B) short-sighted D) blind to the facts
29. Which of the following, according to the author, should play the leading role in the solution of environmental problems?
A) The cooperation of ecologists, environmental activists and conservationists.
B) The efforts of environmental health professionals.
C) The industry's understanding and support.
D) Legislation and government intervention.
30. Which of the following is true according to the last paragraph?
A) More money should be spent in order to stop pollution.
B) Environmental degradation will be stopped by the end of this decade.
C) Ordinary citizens have no access to technical information on pollution.
D) Efforts should be exerted on pollution prevention instead of on remedial measures.
Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage:
British universities, groaning under the burden of a huge increase in student numbers, are warning that the tradition of a free education is at risk. The universities have threatened to impose an admission fee on students to plug a gap in revenue if the government does not act to improve their finances and scrap some public spending cutbacks. The government responded to the universities' threat by setting up the most fundamental review of higher education for a generation, under a non-party troubleshooter(调停人), Sir Ron Dearing. One in three school-leavers enters higher education, five times the number when the last review took place thirty years ago. Everyone agrees a system that is feeling the strain after rapid expansion needs a lot more money—but there is little hope of getting it from the taxpayer and not much scope for attracting more finance from business.
.Most colleges believe students should contribute to tuition costs, something that is common elsewhere in the world but would mark a revolutionary change in Britain. Universities want the government to introduce a loan scheme for tuition fees and have suspended their own threatened action for now. They await Dearing's advice, hoping it will not be too late—some are already reported to be in financial difficulty.
As the century nears its end, the whole concept of what a university should be is under the microscope. Experts ponder how much they can use computers instead of classrooms, talk of the need for lifelong learning and refer to students as “consumers”. The Confederation(联盟) of British Industry, the key employers' organization, wants even more expansion in higher education to help fight competition on world markets from booming Asian economies. But the government has doubts about more expansion. The Times newspaper agrees, complaining that quality has suffered as student numbers soared, with close tutorial supervision giving way to “mass production methods more typical of European universities.”
31. The chief concern of British universities is .
A) how to tackle their present financial difficulty
B) how to improve their educational technology
C) how to expand the enrollment to meet the needs of enterprises
D) how to put an end to the current tendency of quality deterioration
32. We can learn from the passage that in Britain .
A) higher education is provided free of charge
B) universities are mainly funded by businesses
C) the government pays dearly for its financial policy
D) students are ready to accept loan schemes for tuition
33. What was the percentage of high school graduates admitted to universities in Britain thirty years ago?
A) About 15%. C) Below 10%.
B) 20% or so. D) Above 30%.
34. It can be inferred from the passage that .
A) British employers demand an expansion in enrollment at the expense of qualityB) the best way out for British universities is to follow their European counterparts
C) the British government will be forced to increase its spending on higher education
D) British students will probably have to pay for their higher education in the near future
35. Which of the following is the viewpoint of the Times newspaper?
A) British universities should expand their enrollment to meet the needs of industry.
B) Expansion in enrollment is bound to affect the quality of British higher education.
C) British universities should help fight competition on world markets.
D) European universities can better meet the needs of the modern world.
.Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage:
There's a simple premise behind what Larry Myers does for a living: If you can smell it, you can find it. Myers is the founder of Auburn University's Institute for Biological Detection Systems, the main task of which is to chase the ultimate in detection devices—an artificial nose. For now, the subject of their research is little more than a stack of gleaming chips tucked away in a laboratory drawer. But soon, such a tool could be hanging from the belts of police, arson(纵火) investigators and food-safety inspectors. The technology that they are working on would suggest quite reasonably that, within three to five years, we'll have some workable sensors ready to use. Such devices might find wide use in places that attract terrorists. Police could detect drugs, bodies and bombs hidden in cars, while food inspectors could easily test food and water for contamination. The implications for revolutionary advances in public safety and the food industry are astonishing. But so, too, are the possibilities for abuse: Such machines could determine whether a woman is ovulating (排卵), without a physical exam—or even her knowledge. One of the traditional protectors of American liberty is that it has been impossible to search everyone. That's getting not to be the case.
Artificial biosensors created at Auburn work totally differently from anything ever seen before. Aromas can, for example, is a desktop machine based on a bank of chips sensitive to specific chemicals that evaporate into the air. As air is sucked into the machine, chemicals pass over the sensor surfaces and produce changes in the electrical current flowing through them. Those current changes are logged into a computer that sorts out odors based on their electrical signatures. Myers says they expect to load a single fingernail-size chip with thousands of odor receptors(感受器)， enough to create a sensor that's nearly as sensitive as a dog's nose.
36. Which of the following is within the capacity of the artificial nose being developed?
A) Monitoring food processing.
B) Performing physical examinations.
C) Locating places which attract terrorists.
D) Detecting drugs and water contamination.
37. A potential problem which might be caused by the use of an artificial nose is .
A) a hazard to physical health
B) negligence of public safety
C) a threat to individual privacy
D) an abuse of personal freedom
38. The word “logged”(Line 5, Para. 7) most probably means “ ”.
A) preset C) entered
B) simulated D) processed
.39. To produce artificial noses for practical use, it is essential .
A) to find chemicals that can alter the electrical current passing through
B) to develop microchips with thousands of odor receptors
C) to design a computer program to sort out smells
D) to invent chips sensitive to various chemicals
40. The author's attitude towards Larry Myers' work is .
A) approving C)cautious
B) overenthusiastic D) suspicious
Unit 1
21.D 22.D 23.A 24.B 25.B 26.C 27.A 28.C 29.B 30.D
31.A 32.A 33.C 34.B 35.D 36.D 37.C 38.C 39.B 40.C
Unit 2
Part Ⅱ Reading Comprehension
(35 minutes)
Directions: There are 4 reading passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.
Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage:
In the world of entertainment, TV talk shows have undoubtedly flooded every inch of space on daytime television. And anyone who watches them regularly knows that each one varies in style and format. But no two shows are more profoundly opposite in content, while at the same time standing out above the rest, than the Jerry Springer and the Oprah Winfrey shows.
Jerry Springer could easily be considered the king of “trash talk(废话)”. The topics on his show are as shocking as shocking can be. For example, the show takes the ever-common talk show themes of love, sex, cheating, guilt, hate, conflict and morality to a different level. Clearly, the Jerry Springer show is a display and exploitation of society's moral catastrophes (灾难), yet people are willing to eat up the intriguing predicaments (困境) of other people's lives.
Like Jerry Springer, Oprah Winfrey takes TV talk show to its extreme, but Oprah goes in the opposite direction. The show focuses on the improvement of society and an individual's quality of life. Topics range from teaching your children responsibility, managing your work weekly, to getting to know your neighbors.
Compared to Oprah, the Jerry Springer show looks like poisonous waste being dumped on society. Jerry ends every show with a “final word”. He makes a small speech that sums up the entire moral of the show. Hopefully, this is the part where most people will learn something very valuable.
Clear as it is, the Oprah show is not for everyone. The show's main target audience are middle-class Americans. Most of these people have the time, money, and stability to deal with life's tougher problems. Jerry Springer, on the other hand, has more of an association with the young adults of society. These are 18-to 21-year-olds whose main troubles in life involve love, relationship, sex, money and peers. They are the ones who see some value and lessons to be learned underneath the show's exploitation.
While the two shows are as different as night and day, both have ruled the talk show circuit for many years now. Each one caters to a different audience while both have a strong following from large groups of fans. Ironically, both could also be considered pioneers in the talk show world.
.21. Compared with other TV talk shows, both the Jerry Springer and the Oprah Winfrey are .
A) more family-oriented
B) unusually popular
C) more profound
D) relatively formal
22. Though the social problems Jerry Springer talks about appear distasteful, the audience .
A) remain fascinated by them
B) are ready to face up to them
C) remain indifferent to them
D) are willing to get involved in them
23. Which of the following is likely to be a topic of the Oprah Winfrey show?
A) A new type of robot.
B) Racist hatred.
C) Family budget planning.
D) Street violence.
24. Despite their different approaches, the two talk shows are both .
A) ironical C) instructive
B) sensitive D) cynical
25. We can learn from the passage that the two talk shows .
A) have monopolized the talk show circuit
B) exploit the weaknesses in human nature
C) appear at different times of the day
D) are targeted at different audiences
.Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage:
To understand the marketing concept, it is only necessary to understand the difference between marketing and selling. Not too many years ago, most industries concentrated primarily on the efficient production of goods, and then relied on “persuasive salesmanship” to move as much of these goods as possible. Such production and selling focuses on the needs of the seller to produce goods and then convert them into money.
Marketing, on the other hand, focuses on the wants of consumers. It begins with first analyzing the preferences and demands of consumers and then producing goods that will satisfy them. This eye-on-the-consumer approach is known as the marketing concept, which simply means that instead of trying to sell whatever is easiest to produce or buy for resale, the makers and dealers first endeavor to find out what the consumer wants to buy and then go about making it available for purchase.
This concept does not imply that business is benevolent(慈善) or that consumer satisfaction is given priority over profit in a company. There are always two sides to every business transaction—the firm and the customer—and each must be satisfied before trade occurs. Successful merchants and producers, however, recognize that the surest route to profit is through understanding and catering to customers. A striking example of the importance of catering to the consumer presented itself in mid_1985, when Coca Cola changed the flavor of its drink. The nonacceptance of the new flavor by a significant portion of the public brought about a prompt restoration of the Classic Coke, which was then marketed alongside the new. King Customer ruled!
26.The marketing concept discussed in the passage is, in essence,
A) the practice of turning goods into money
B) making goods available for purchase
C) the customer-centred approach
D) a form of persuasive salesmanship
27. What was the main concern of industrialists before the marketing concept was widely accepted?
A) The needs of the market.
B) The efficiency of production.
C) The satisfaction of the user.
D) The preferences of the dealer.
28. According to the passage, “to move as much of these goods as possible” (Lines 3_4, Para. 1) means “ ”.
A) to sell the largest possible amount of good
B) to transport goods as efficiently as possible
C) to dispose of these goods in large quantities
D) to redesign these goods for large-scale production
29. What does the restoration of the Classic Coke best illustrate?
A) Traditional goods have a stronger appeal to the majority of people.
B) It takes time for a new product to be accepted by the public.
C) Consumers with conservative tastes are often difficult to please.
D) Products must be designed to suit the taste of the consumer.
.30. In discussing the marketing concept, the author focuses on .A) its main characteristic
B) its social impact
C) its possible consequence
D) its theoretical basis
Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage:
Conventional wisdom about conflict seems pretty much cut and dried. Too little conflict breeds apathy(冷漠) and stagnation(呆滞). Too much conflict leads to divisiveness(分裂) and hostility. Moderate levels of conflict, however, can spark creativity and motivate people in a healthy and competitive way.
Recent research by Professor Charles R. Schwenk, however, suggests that the optimal level of conflict may be more complex to determine than these simple generalizations. He studied perceptions of conflict among a sample of executives. Some of the executives worked for profit-seeking organizations and others for not-for-profit organizations.
Somewhat surprisingly, Schwenk found that opinions about conflict varied systematically as a function of the type of organization. Specifically, managers in not-for-profit organizations strongly believed that conflict was beneficial to their organizations and that it promoted higher quality decision making than might be achieved in the absence of conflict.
Managers of for-profit organizations saw a different picture. They believed that conflict generally was damaging and usually led to poor-quality decision making in their organizations. Schwenk interpreted these results in terms of the criteria for effective decision making suggested by the executives. In the profit-seeking organizations, decision-making effectiveness was most often assessed in financial terms. The executives believed that consensus rather than conflict enhanced financial indicators.
In the not-for-profit organizations, decision-making effectiveness was defined from the perspective of satisfying constituents. Given the complexities and ambiguities associated with satisfying many diverse constituents executives perceived that conflict led to more considered and acceptable decisions.
31. In the eyes of the author, conventional opinion on conflict is .
A) wrong C) misleading
B) oversimplified D) unclear
32. Professor Charles R. Schwenk's research shows .
A) the advantages and disadvantages of conflict
B) the real value of conflict
C) the difficulty in determining the optimal level of conflict
D) the complexity of defining the roles of conflict
33. We can learn from Schwenk's research that .
A) a person's view of conflict is influenced by the purpose of his organization
B) conflict is necessary for managers of for-profit organizations
C) different people resolve conflicts in different ways
D) it is impossible for people to avoid conflict
.34. The passage suggests that in for-profit organization .
A) there is no end of conflict
B) expression of different opinions is encouraged
C) decisions must be justifiable
D) success lies in general agreement
35. People working in a not-for-profit organization .
A) seem to be difficult to satisfy
B) are free to express diverse opinions
C) are less effective in making decisions
D) find it easier to reach agreement
Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage:
Imagine eating everything delicious you want—with none of the fat. That would be great, wouldn't it?
New “fake fat” products appeared on store shelves in the United States recently, but not everyone is happy about it. Makers of the products, which contain a compound called olestra, say food manufacturers can now eliminate fat from certain foods. Critics, however, say the new compound can rob the body of essential vitamins and nutrients (营养物) and can also cause unpleasant side effects in some people. So it's up to consumers to decide whether the new fat-free products taste good enough to keep eating.
Chemists discovered olestra in the late 1960s, when they were searching for a fat that could be digested by infants more easily. Instead of finding the desired fat, the researchers created a fat that can't be digested at all.
Normally, special chemicals in the intestines (肠)“grab” molecules of regular fat and break them down so they can be used by the body. A molecule of regular fat is made up of three molecules of substances called fatty acids.
The fatty acids are absorbed by the intestines and bring with them the essential vitamins A, D, E, and K. When fat molecules are present in the intestines with any of those vitamins, the vitamins attach to the molecules and are carried into the bloodstream.
Olestra, which is made from six to eight molecules of fatty acids, is too large for the intestines to absorb. It just slides through the intestines without being broken down. Manufacturers say it's that ability to slide unchanged through the intestines that makes olestra so valuable as a fat substitute. It provides consumers with the taste of regular fat without any bad effects on the body. But critics say olestra can prevent vitamins A, D, E, and K from being absorbed. It can also prevent the absorption of carotenoids(类胡萝卜素)，compounds that may reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, etc.
Manufacturers are adding vitamins A, D, E, and K as well as carotenoids to their products now. Even so, some nutritionists are still concerned that people might eat unlimited amounts of food made with the fat substitute without worrying about how many calories they are consuming.
36. We learn from the passage that olestra is a substance that .
A) contains plenty of nutrients
B) renders foods calorie-free while retaining their vitamins
C) makes foods easily digestible
D) makes foods fat-free while keeping them delicious
.