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PART Ⅲ READING COMPREHENSION ［40 min.］

SECTION A READING COMPREHENSION ［30 min.］

In this section there are six reading passages followed by a total of fiften multiple choice questions.Read the passages and them mark your answer on you Coloured ANSWER SHEET.

TEXT A

What Is History？

When does history begin？It is tempting to reply in the beginning's but like many obvious answers，this soon turns out to be unhelpful.As a great Swiss historian once pointed out in another connexion，history is the one subject where you cannot begin at the beginning.If we want to，we can trace the chain of human descent back to the appearance of vertebrates，or even to the photosynthetic cells which lie at the start of life itself.We can go back further still，to almost unimaginable upheavals which formed this planet and even to the origins of the universe.Yet this is not‘history.'

Commonsense helps here：history is the story of mankind，of what it has done，suffered or enjoyed.We all know that dogs and cats do not have histories，while human beings do.Even when historians write about a natural process beyond human control，such as the ups and downs of climate，or the spread of disease，they do so only because it helps us to understand why men and women have lived （and died） in some ways rather than others.

This suggests that all we have to do is to identify the moment at which the first human beings step out from the shadows of the remost past.It is not quite as simple as that，though.We have to know what we are looking for first and most attempts to define humanity on the basis of observable characteristics prove in the end arbitrary and cramping，as long arguments about'apemen‘and'missing links’have shown.Physiological tests help us to classify data but do not identify what is or is not human.That is a matter of a definition about which disagreement is possible.Some people have suggested that human uniqueness lies in language，yet other primates possess vocal equipment similar to our own；when noises are made with it which are signals，at what point do they become speech？Another famous definition is that man is a tool-maker，but observation has cast doubt on our uniqueness in this respect，too，long after Dr Johnson scoffed at Boswell for quoting it to him.

What is surely and identifiably unique about the human species is not its possession of certain faculties or physical characterstics，but what it has done with them—its achievement，or history，in fact.Humanity's unique achievement is its remarkably intense level of activity and creativity，its cumulative capacity to create change.All animals have ways of living，some complex enough to be called cultures.Human culture alone is progressive：it has been increasingly built by conscious choice and selection within it as well as by accident and natural pressure，by the accumulation of a capital of experience and knowledge which man has exploited.Human history began when the inheritance of genetics and behavior which had until them provided the only way of dominating the environment was first broken through by conscious choice.Of course，human beings have always only been able to make their history within limits.These limits are now very wide indeed，but they were once so narrow that it is impossible to identify the first step which took human evolution away from the determination of nature.We have for a long time only a blurred story，obscure both because the evidence is poor and because we cannot be sure exactly what we are looking for.

16According to the author history is____.

A.in the beginning.

B.the story of mankind，of what it has done，suffered or enjoyed.

C.the progressiveness of human conscious choice and selection which breaks through the inheritance of genetics and behavior.

D.a natural process beyond human control.

17In order to understand what history is the predeterminate thing is to make clear the uniqueness of the human species which lies in____.

A.its possession of certain faculties or physical characteristics.

B. language.

C.tool-making.

D.what human beings have done with their certain faculties or physical characteristies

TEXT B

No Debating

In politics，in the courts，even on the ubiquitous TV talkshow，it is good form to pick an intellectual fight.People attack each other—hurl insults，even—and it counts as logical argument.I cannot understand it.

It seems that our society favours a kind of ritualised aggression.Everywhere you look，in newspapers and on television，issues are presented using the terminology of war and conflict.We hear of battles，duels and disputes.We see things in terms of winners and losers，victors and victims.

The problem is society's unquestioning belief in the advantages of the debate as a way of solving disagreements，even proving right from wrong.Our brainwashing begins early at school，when the brightest pupils are co-opted onto the debating system.They get there because they can think up a good argument to support their case.Once on the debate team，they learn that they earn bonus points for the skill with which they verbally attack，or insult，the opposing team.They win if they can successfully convince the audience that they are right，even if the case they are arguing is clearly nonsensual.They do this by proving themselves to be stronger，brighter，more outrageous，even.

The training in this adversarial approach continues at our tertiary institutions.The standard way to present an academic paper，for instance，is to take up an opposing argument to something expressed by another academic.The paper must set out to prove the other person wrong.This is not at all the same thing as reading the original paper with an open mind and discovering that you disagress with it.

The reverence for the adversarial approach spills over into all areas of life.Instead of answering their critics，politicians learn to sidestep negative comments and turn the point around to an attack on accusers.Defence lawyers argue the case for their clientseven when they suspect they may be guilty.And ordinary people use the same tactics—just listen to your teenager next time you pull him up for coming home late.You can be sure a stream of abuse will flow about your own time—keeping，your irritating habits，your history of bad parenting.

Unfortunately，the smarter your kid，the better his or her argument against you will be.You'll be upset，but you'll comfort yourself that those teenage monsters of yours will one day turn into mature，though adults who can look after themselves—by which you mean，of course，they will be able to argue their way out of sticky situations.

It's not that you should never use angry words，or take up a position in opposition to someone or something.There are certainly times when one should take a stand，and in such cases strong words are quite appropriate：if you witness injustice，for instance，or feel passionately about arother's folly.Mockery—so cruel when practised on the innocent—can be very useful in such situations.There is no better way to bring down a tyrant than to mock him mercilessly.

What I dislike is the automatic assumption most people have when it comes to disagreements：they should attack，abuse，preferably overpower their opponent，at whatever the cost.The approach is to so ingrained that“compromise”has become a dirty word.We feel quilty if we are conciliatory rather than confrontational.We have trained ourselves，or been brainwashed into believing，that to be pleasant is a sign of weakness.

But just think how easy it can be to persuade a “difficult”person to be considerate of you or your wished when you are pleasant to them，and unthreatening.Give them a way out of a potentially agressive situation without losing face，and they will oblige you willingly.

Discuss a subject without taking an adversarial position and you will find the other person happy to explore the possibilities with you.I'm prepared to bet on it.You'll get closer to the truth of the matter than you would by going to each other hammer and tongs.

18The style of this text is____.

A.descriptive B.narrative C.expositive D.argumentative

19At the end of the text“going at each other hammer and tongs”means____.

A.compromising or consulting with a hammer B.mocking or scoffing with tongs

C.attacking or abusing stealthily D.quarrelling or fighting noisily

TEXT C

Feels like Spring

I stop at the corner drugstore for a breakfast of doughnuts and coffee，and then I race to the subway station and gallop down the steps to catch my usual train.I hold on to the strap and make believe I'm reading my newspaper，but I keep glancing at the people crowded in around me.I listen to them talk about their troubles and their friends，and I wish I had someone to talk to，someone to break the monotony，of the long subway ride.

As we approach the 175th Street station，I begin to get tense again.She usually gets into the train at that station.She slips in gracefully，not pushing or shoving like the rest，and she squeezes into a little space，clinging to the people and holding on to an office envelop that probably contains her lunch.She never carries a newspaper or a book；I guess there isn't much sense in trying to read when you're smashed in like that.

There's a fresh outdoor look about her and I figure she must live in New Jersey.The Jersey crowd gets in at that stop.She has a sweet face with that scrubbed look that doesn't need powder or rouge.She never wears make-up except for lipstick.And her wavy hair is natural，just a nice light brown.And all she does is hold on to the pole and think her own thoughts，her eyes clear-blue and warm.

I always like to watch her，but I have to be careful.I'm afraid she'd get angry and move away if she catches me at it，and then I won't have anyone，because she's my only real friend，even if she doesn't know it.I'm all alone in New York City and I guess I'm kind of shy and don't make friends easily.The fellows in the bank are all right but they have their own lives to lead，and besides，I can't ask anyone to come up to a furnished room；so they go their way and I go mine.

The city is getting me.It's too big and noisy—too many people for a fellow who's all by himself.I can't seem to get used to it.I'm used to the quiet of a small New Hampshire farm but there isn't any future on a New Hampshire farm any more：so after I was discharged from the Navy，I got it.I suppose it's a good break but I'm kind of lonesome.

As I ride along，awaying to the motion of the car，I like to imagine that I'm friends with her.Sometimes I'm even tempted to smile at her，and say something like“Nice morning，isn't it？”But I'm scared.She might think I'm one of those wise guys and she'd freeze up and look right through me as if I didn't exist，and then the next morning she wouldn't be there any more and I'd have no one to think about.I keep dreaming that maybe some day I'll get to know her.You know，in a casual way.

Like maybe she'd be coming through the door and someone pushes her and she brushes against me and she'd say quickly，“Oh，I beg your pardon，”and I'd lift my hat politely and answer，“That's perfectly all right，”and I'd smile to show her I meant it，and then she'd smile back at me and say，“Nice day，isn't it？”and I'd say，“Feels like spring.”And we wouldn't say anything more，but when she'd be ready to get off at 34th Street，she'd wave her fingers a little at me and say，“Good-by”，and I'd tip my hat again.

The next morning when she'd come in，she'd see me and say“Hello，”or maybe，“Good morning，”and I'd answer and add something to show her I really knew a little about spring.No wise cracks because I wouldn't want her to think that I was one of those smooth-talking guys who pick up girls in the subway.

The train is slowing down and the people are bracing themselves automatically for the stop.It's the 175th Street station.There's a big crowd waiting to get in.I look out anxiously for her but I don't see her anywhere and my heart sinks，and just then I catch a glimpse of her，way over at the other side.She's wearing a new hat with little flowers on it.

The door opens and the people start pushing in.She'd caught in the rush and there's nothing she can do about it.She bangs into me and she grabs the strap I'm holding and hangs on it for dear life.

“I beg your pardon，”she gasps.

My hands are pinned down and I can't tip my hat but I answer politely，“That's all right.”

The doors close and the train begins to move.She has to hold on to my strap；there isn't any other place for her.

“Nice day，isn't it？”she says.

The train swings around a turn and the wheels squealing on the rails sound like the birds singing in New Hampshire.My heart is pounding like mad.

“Feels like spring，”I say.

20The female the author is narrating in this text.

A.lives in New Jersey B.gets off at the 175th street station

C.says to him，“Nice day，isn't it？” D.carries a newspaper or a book on the way

21The author dreams of making friends with this female not beause____.

A.she has a sweet face，a natural way and behaves gracefully.

B.the author himself is kind of shy and doesn't make friends easily.

C.She offers to talk with the author and smiles at him pleasanty.

D.the author is deeply attracted by her graceful manners and sweet appearance

TEXT D

The Rise and Rise of the Sundial

As we hurtle towards the new millennium，what better symbol of the relentless passage of time than the ancient sundial？Sundials come in many forms，but horizontal ones are by far the most common.Usually set on a pedestal，they consist of a flat dial face and a gnomon—the slanting piece of metal that casts the shadow.Believe it or not，interest in sundials is increasing in the west.A quick glance at the Internet reveals burgeoning sundial societies all over the world for the scientifically inclined，and even detailed sundial trials for those who want to check out the dials in gardens in the United States，France or Britain.This is time travel with a difference.

Quotes or mottoes have traditionally been inscribed on sundials to promote reflection and thought，and these sayings are repeated on the modern versions of the old timepiece.The philosophical sayings add to the image of the timelessness of sundials，but are also reminders in the great poetic traditions of the trarsient nature of human life.

“Time began in a garden”is a quotation referring to the Christian Bible legend of the Garden of Eden where，Christian belief says，human life began at the dawn of Creation，and from having been eternal，humans became subject to the decay of time.

“I am a shadow.So are you”reminds the observer that a passing life can be as swift and transitory as the shadow that drifts over the face of a sundial，while the enigmatic“I make time—Dost thou？”plays on the double meaning of the English words for marking or keeping time，like a clock，and marking time by failing to make progress.

Sundials have long been beautifully crafted but now some innovative Western Sculptors are creating dramatic new varitions on the theme，such as a vertical or wall dial from a modern courtyard setting.Bold colorful sun designs or simple minimalist wall plaques are available，and there is even a water fountain dial where the water jet replaces the gnomon （finger） as marker of time.Clever designs playing with the sun and resulting shadow forms also use stark hunks of rough-hewn stone，taking us back to those pointers of old，or employ reflective materials like glass.

The earliest sundials are recorded in use around 300BC.They come from the stage in ancient times when men and women began to use simple sticks and markers to show the time of day as the shadows progressed.Such devices grew steadily more complex until by Roman times no fewer than 12 types of sundial were recorded，including a sophisticated portable version.More than mere markers of time，such dials served for centuries to indicate mankind's understanding of the complexities of the heavens.

Somewhere along the line，someone realised that a slanting object would cast a more accurate shadow that a vertical one for the purposes of keeping time.The problem of seasonal changes was removed by placing the slanting object parallel to the Earth's axis.Even after clocks and watches were invented，their reliability was questionable and sundials still had to be used to check their accuracy.

But eventually，as the 18th and 19th centuries progressed，and coinciding with the era of“pitcuresque”or idealised landscape gardening in Britain and Europe，sundials became garden ornaments first and timekeepers second.Their value in this area has never been questioned，as successful gardens often rely on such focal points for impact.

With their inherent dignity and image of scientific order triumphing over chaos，sundials provide the perfect centerpiece for herb gardens historic gardens hospitals schools，wriversities churches （set in thyme of couse），knot gardens，memorial gardens，cemeteries and civic gardens.

Armillary sundials are especially aesthetically pleasing，with their circular or spherical shape and make superb garden ornaments.Consisting of several rings，they revolved from the celestial globes used by ancient astronomers to plot the position of the stars.

The word armillary comes from the Latin armilla—a bracelet or ring.One ring representing the equator has the hours walked on it，a second stands for the meridian，and a third the horizon.

The rod through the centre representing the earth's axis shows the time by casting its shadow on to the hour times marked on the equatorial ring.

Sun time is not the same as watch time because it measures time as it is，not as we would like it to be，with noon today exactly 24 hours away from noon tomorrow.Before the world became a small place and people didn't move around very much，local time was a perfectly satisfatory measurement.But as modern communication and means of travel grew more sophisticated standard time zones were adopted.As a result，your sundial will agree with your watch only on four days of the year，not because it is inaccurate but because it is measuring a different kind of time.Adjustments for“daylight saving”time throw yet another spoke in the wheel.There's a new kind of tour for you —time travel.It couldn't catch on.

22The sundial is now finding favour once again in the West because____.

A.Nations in the West begin to rely on it for making the time.

B.many quotes or mottoes promoto people's reflection and thought of the use of sundials.

C.sundials can be used to check the accuracy of clocks and watches.

D.sundials can provide the perfect ornament with their inherent dignity and image of scientific order.

23Which of the following statements about sundials is true？

A.Sundials used to be uncrafted but now western sculptors are designing dramatic new sundials.

B.The quotes or mottoes now are inscribed on sundials to promote thought.

C.All sundials are set on a pedestal，consisting of a flat dial face and a slanting piece of metal that casts the shadow

D.The earliest sundials are recorded in use around 300BC when men and women used simple trees and markers to show the time of day as the shadows moved.

24Watch time is different from sun time in that.

A.sun time measures time as people would like to be

B.watch time measures time as it is

C.sun time measures time as it is，wish noon today exactly 24 hours away from noon tomorrow

D.watch time measures time as people wish to be，with noon today exactly 24 hours away from noon tomorrow

TEXT E

The Game of the Name

Here comes John Smith walking toward me.Even though he is but a passing acquaintance，the American greeting ritual demands that I utter a few words to reassure him of my good will.But what form of address should I use？John？Smith？Dr.Smith？A decision such as this is usually made unconsciously.

As native speakers in the American speech community，we have grown up learning the rules of address at the same time that we were acquiring the grammatical rules of American-English.At first thought，it might seem a trivial pursuit to examine the ways in which we address one another.But forms of address reveal many assumptions we make about memebers of our speech community.

Our initial decision about the appropriate address form is based on relative ages.If the person being addressed is a child，then almost all the rules that we have unconsciously assimilated can safely be ignored，and we use the simple formula First Name.The child，in turn，addresses an adult by using the formula Tilte plus Last Name.

But defining a“child”is not always easy.I address my son's roommate at college by FN，even though he is an adult under the law.I，too，have the relative age of a child to a 75-year-old acquaintance who calls me Pete.Let us assume that John Smith is not a child who can be addressed by FN but is either my contemporary or my elder.The next important deteriminer for the form of address will then be the speech situation.

If the situation is a formal one，then I must disregard all other rules and use social Identity plus Last Name.John Smith will always be addressed as Dr.Smith （or sometimes simply as Doctor，with Last Name understood） in the medical setting of office or hospital.（I am allowed to call him if my status is at least as high as his or if we are friends outside of our social roles，but the rest of my utterance must remain respectful.）

We are also obliged to address certain other people by their social Identity in formal situation：public officials （Congressman：Your Honor），educators （Professor or Doctor），leaders of meetings （Mr.Chairman），Roman Catholic priests （Father Dafly） and nuns （Sister Anna），and so forth.By the way，note the sexist distinction in the formulas for priests and nuns.The formula for a priest is Father plus Last Name，but for a nun it is Sister plus Religious Name （usually an FN）。

Most conversations，however，are not carried on in formal speech situations，and so the basic decision is when to use FN to TLN.A social acquaintance or newly hired colleague of approximately the same age and rank is usually introduced on an FN basis.“Pete，I'd like you to meet Harvy.”Now a problem arises if both age and rank of cone of the parties are higher：“Pete，I'd like you to meet Attorney Brown.”

Attorney Brown may，of course，at any time signal me that he is willing to suspend the rules of address and allow an FN basis.Such a suspension is his privilege to bestow，and it is usually handled humorously，with a remark like，“I answer quicker to Bruce.”

Complications arise when relative age and relative rank are not both the same.A young doctor who joins a hospital finds it difficult to address a much older doctor.They are equal in rank （and therefore FN should be used） but the great disparity in ages calls for TLN.In such cases，the young doctor can use the No-Name （NN） formula，phrasing his utterances adroitly to avoid using any term of address at all.

English is quite exceptional among the world's languages in this respect.Most European languages oblige the speaker to choose between the familiar and formal second person singular （as in the French tu and vous），as English once did when“thou”was in use.

This is the basic American system，but the rules vary according to speech situations，subtle friendship or kin relationships between the speakers，regions of the country，and so forth.

Southern speech，for example，adds the formula Title plus First Name （Mr.Charlie） to indicate familiar respect.Southerners are also likely to specify kin terms （as in Cousin Jane） whereas in most of the United States FN is used for cousins.

Address to strangers also alters some of the rules.A speaker usually addresses a stranger whose attire and behavior indicate higher status by saying sir.But sometimes speakers with low status address those with obviously higher status by spurning this rule and instead using Mac or buddy—as when a construction worker asks a passing executive，socially identified by his atlacie' case，“You got a match，buddy？”

25According to the author the form of address is not based on____.

A.relative ages B.speech situation

C.relative ranks D.relative incomes

26How do people address a public official correctly？

A.Professor or Doctor B.Father or Sister

C.Mr.Chairman D.His Honor or Congressman

27Which formula is used when a young man addresses an elder person but with the same rank？

A.FN B.NN C.TLN D.SI or SILN

TEXT F

Petroleum

Petrolem，like coal，is found in sedimentary rocks，and was probably formed form long-dead living organisms.The rocks in which it is found are almost always of ocean origin and the petroleum-forming organisms must have been ocean creatures rather than trees.

Instead of originating in accumulating woody matter，petroleum may be the product of the acumulating fatty matter of ocean organisms such as plankton，the myriads of single-celled creatures that float in the surface layers of the ocean.

The fat of living organisms consists of atom combinations that are chiefly made up of carbon and hydrogen atoms.It does not take much in the way of chemical change to turn that into petroleum.It is only necessary that the organisms settle down into the ooze underlying shallow arms of the ocean under conditions of oxygen shortage.Instead of decomposing and decaying，the fat accumulates，is trapped under further layers of ooze，undergoes minor rearrangements of atoms，and finally is petroleum.

Petroleum is lighter than water and，beng liquid，bends to ooze upward through the porous rock that covers it.There are regions on Earth where some reaches the surface and the ancients spoke of pitch，bitumen，or asphalt.In ancient and medieval times，such petroleum seepages were more often looked on as medicines rather than fuels.

Of course，the surface seepages are in very minor quantities.Petroleum stores，however，are sometimes overlain with nonporous rock.The petroleum seeping upward reaches that rock and them remains below it in a slowly acumulating pool.If a hole can be drilled through the rock overhead，the petroleum can move up through the hole.Sometimes the pressure on the pool is so great that the petroleum gushes high into the air.The first successful drilling was carried through in 1859 in Titusville，Pennsylvania，by Edwin Drake.

If one found the right spot then it was easy to bring up the liquid material.It was much easier to do that than to send men underground to chip out chunks of solid coal.Once the petroleum was obtained，it could be moved overland through pipes，rather than in fright trains that had to be laboriously loaded and unloaded，as was the case with coal.

The convenience of obtaining and transporting petroleum encouraged its use.The petroleum could be distilled into separate fractions，each made up of molecules of a particular size.The smaller the molecules，the easier it was to evaporate the fraction.

Through the latter half of the nineteenth century，the most important fraction of petroleum was“kerosene，”made up of middlesized molecules that did not easily evaporate.Kerosene was used in lamps to give light.

Toward the end of the nineteenth century，however，engines were developed which were powered by the explosions of mixtures of air and inflammable vapors within their cylinders.The most convenient inflammable vapor was that derived from“gasoline，”a petroleum fraction made up of small molecules and one that therefore vaporized easily.

Such“internal combustion engines”are more compact that earlier steam engines and can be made to start at a moments' notice，whereas steam engines require a waiting period while the water reserve warms to be boiling point.

As automobiles，trucks，buses，and aircraft of all sorts came into use，each with internal combustion engines，the demand for petroleum zoomed upward.Houses began to be heated by burning fuel oil rather than coal.Ships began to use oil；electricity began to be formed from the energy of burning oil.

In 1900，the energy derived from burning petroleum was only 4 percent that of coal.After World WarⅡ，the energy derived from burning the various fractions of petroleum exceeded that of coal，and petroleum is not the chief fuel powering the world's technology.

The greater convenience of petroleum as compared with coal is，however，balanced by the fact that petroleum exist on Earth in far smaller quantities than coal does.（This is not surprising，since the fatty substances from which petroleum was formed are far less common on Earth than the woody substances from which coal was formed.）

The total quantity of petroleum now thought to exist on Earth is about 14 trillion gallons.In weight that is only one-ninth as much as the total existing quantity of coal and，at the present moment，petroleum is being used up much more quickly.At the present rate of the use，the world's supply of petroleum may last for only thirty years or so.

There is another complication in the fact that petroleum is not nearly so evenly distributed as coal is.The major consumers of energy have enough local coal to keep going but are，however，seriously short of petroleum.The United Stated has 10 percent of the total petroleum reserves of the world in its own territory，and has been a major producer for decades.It still is，but its enormous consumption of petroleum products is now making it an oil importer，so that it is increasingly dependent on foreign nations for this vital resource.The Soviet Union has about as much petroleum as the United States，but it uses less，so it can be an exporter.

Nearly three-fifths of all known petroleum reserves on Earth is to be found in the territory of the various Arabic-speaking countries.Kuwait，for instance，which is a small nation at the head of the Persian Gulf，with an area only three-fourths that of Massachusetts and a population of about half a million，possesses about one-fifth of all the known petroleum reserves in the world.

The political problems this creates are already becoming crucial.

28Petroleum is unlike coal in the way.

A.petroleum is found in sedimentary rocks and was probably formed from long-dead living organisms.

B.once the petroleum was obtained，it could be moved overland in freight trains.

C.petroleum is not nearly so evenly distributed as coal is.

D.petroleum exists on Earth in far greater quantities than coal does.

29The use of petroleum is greatly encouraged by.

A.the fact that petroleum is lighter than water

B.the fact that petroleum is the produce of the accumulating fatty matter of ocean organisms.

C.the fact that obtaining and transporting petroleum is very convenient.

D.the fact that the energy derived from burning petroleum is only 4 percent that of coal.

30Which of the following is a petroleum fraction made up of small molecules and one that therefore vaporized easily？

A.kerosene. B.gasoline C.asphalt D.vapor

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