Passage Three
Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage:
In the United States, the need to protect plant and animal species has become a highly controversial and sharply political issue since the passage of the Endangered Species Act in 1973. The act, designed to protect species’ living areas, and policies that preserve and forests compete with economic interests. In the 1990’s, for example, the woodcutters in the Western United States were challenged legally in their attempt to cut trees for timber in the Cascade Mountains. The challenge was mounted to protect the endangered spotted owl (猫头鹰), whose remaining population occupies these forests and requires the intact, ancient forest for survival. The problematic situation set the interests of environmentalists against those of corporations and of individuals who stood to lose jobs. After months of debate and legal battles, the fate of the woodcutters—and the owls—was still undecided in mid－1992.
Similar tensions exist between the developed and the developing nations. Many people in industrialized nations, for example, believe that developing nations in tropical regions should do more to protect their rain forests and other natural areas. But the developing countries may be impoverished, with populations growing so rapidly that using the land is a means to temporarily avoid worsening poverty and starvation.
Many of the changes to Earth that concern scientists have the potential to rob the planets of its biological richness. The destruction of Earth’s Ozone Layer(臭氧层), for example, could contribute to the general process of impoverishment by allowing ultra-violet rays to harm plants and animals. And global warming could wipe out species unable to quickly adapt to the changing climates. Clearly, protecting Earth’s biological diversity is a complex problem. But solutions to humanity’s current problems will come only through coordinated international efforts to control human population, stabilize the composition of the atmosphere, and preserve intact Earth’s complex web of life.
31. Why does the author say that the protection of endangered species is a highly controversial issue?
A) Because people can’t agree as to what species to protect.
B) Because it is difficult to find an effective way to protect such species.
C) Because it affects the interests of certain groups of people.
D) Because it is a major problem involving a series of legal procedures.
32. According to the passage, the preservation of rain forests .
A) may hamper a developing country in its fight against poverty
B) benefits developed countries rather than developing countries
C) should take priority over the control of human population
D) will help improve the living conditions in developing countries
33. According to the passage, cutting trees to grow more food .
A) will widen the gap between the developed and the developing countries
B) is but a short-term relief to the food problem
C) can hardly alleviate the shortage of food
D) proves to be an effective way out for impoverished nations
34. Among “humanity’s current problems” (Line 6, Para. 3), the chief concern of the scientists is .
A) the impoverishment of developing countries
B) the explosion of the human population
C) the reduction of biological diversity
D) the effect of global warming
35. The authors purpose in writing this passage is .
A) to describe the difficulties in solving humanity’s current problems
B) to present the different views on humanity’s current problems
C) to analyze the contradiction between countries in dealing with humanity’s current problems
D) to point out that humanity’s current problems can be solved through the cooperation of nations
Passage Four
Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage.
It’s hardly news that the immigration system is mess. Foreign nationals have long been slipping across the border with fake papers, and visitors who arrive in the U.S. legitimately often overstay their legal welcome without being punished. But since Sept. 11, its become clear that terrorists have been shrewdly factoring the weaknesses of our system into their plans. In addition to their mastery of forging passports, at least three of the 19 Sept. 11 hijackers (劫机者) were here on expired visas. That’s been a safe bet until now. The Immigration and Naturalization Service(INS)（移民归化局）lacks the resources, and apparently the inclination, to keep track of the extimated 2 million foreigners who have intentionally overstayed their welcome.
But this laxness(马虎)toward immigration fraud may be about to change. Congress has already taken some modest steps. The U.S.A. Patriot Act, passed in the wake of the Sept. 11 tragedy, requires the FBI, the Justice Department, the State Department and the INS to share more data, which will make it easier to stop watchlisted terrorists at the border.
But what’s really needed, critics say, is even tougher laws and more resources aimed at tightening up border security. Reformers are calling for a rollback of rules that hinder law enforcement. They also want the INS to hire hundreds more border patrol agents and investigators to keep illegal immigrants out and to track them down once theyre here. Reformers also want to see the INS set up a database to monitor whether visa holders actually leave the country when they are required to.
All these proposed changes were part of a new border-security bill that passed the House of Representatives but died in the Senate last week. Befroe Sept. 11, legislation of this kind had been blocked by two powerful lobbies:universities, which rely on tuition from foreign students who could be kept out by the new law, and business, which relies on foreigners for cheap labor. Since the attacks, they’ve backed off. The bill would have passed this time but for congressional maneuverings and is expected to be reintroduced and to pass next year.
Also on the agenda for next year: a proposal, backed by some influential law-makers, to split the INS into two agencies—a good cop that would tend to service functions like processing citizenship papers and a bad cop that would concentrate on border inspections, deportation and other functions. One reason for the division, supporters say, is that the INS has in recent years become too focused on serving tourists and immigrants. After the Sept. 11 tragedy, the INS should pay more attention to serving the millions of ordinary Americans who rely on the nation’s border security to protect them from terrorist attacks.
36. Terrorists have obviously taken advatage of .
A) the legal privileges granted to foreigners
B) the excessive hospitality of the American people
C) the irresponsibility of the officials at border checkpoints
D) the low efficiency of the Immigration and Naturalization Service
37. We learn from the passage that coordinated efforts will be made by various U.S. government agencies to .
A) refuse the renewing of expired visas
B) ward off terrorist suspects at the border
C) prevent the forgery of immigration papers
D) limit the number of immigrants to the U.S.
38. It can be inferred from the passage that before Sept. 11, aliens with expired visas .
A) might have them extended without trouble
B) would be closely watched by FBI agents
C) might stay on for as long as they wished
D) would live in constant fear of deportation
39. It is believed by many that all these years the INS .
A) has been serving two contradictory functions
B) has been too liberal in granting visas to tourists and immigrants indiscriminately
C) has over-emphasized its service functions at the expense of the nation’s security
D) has ignored the pleas of the two powerful lobbies
40. Before Sept. 11, the U.S. Congress had been unable to pass stricter immigration laws because .
A) they might have kept away foreign students and cheap labor
B) it was difficult to coordinate the efforts of the congressmen
C) education and business circles cared little about national security
D) resources were not available for their enforcement
Part III Vocabulary (20 minutes)
Directions: There are 30 incomplete sentences in this part. For each sentence there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Choose the ONE answer that best completes the sentence. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.
41. Police the angry demonstrators with tear gas (催泪瓦斯).
A) dispersed B) dispatched C) deposited D) detached
42. The audience showed its of the clown’s performance.
A) appreciation B) absorption C) assumption D) attention
43. Although the two players are in the tennis court, they are really good friends.
A) partners B) enemies C) rivals D) companions
44. The economic crises in that country have threatened the of the government.
A) stability B) capability C) capacity D) permanence
45. We should always keep in mind that decisions often lead to bitter regrets.
A) urgent B) instant C) prompt D) hasty
46. He has to spend three months of the year away from home, but there are like extra free time and the chance to meet new people.
A) compensation B) reward C) pension D) interests
47. An elderly or person is better off in a bungalow with no stairs to climb.
A) sick B) paralyzed C) dumb D) handicapped
48. Everyone should to improve those qualities of selfexpression that enable him to communicate with his fellow men.
A) confirm B) strive C) fail D) adhere
49. Myths have many of the world’s greatest poets, artists, musicians and scientists.
A) inspired B) overwhelmed C) contradicted D) comforted
50. The royal scandal has media attention away from the economic crisis.
A) corrected B) contracted C) subtracted D) distracted
51. A most argument about who should go and fetch the bread from the kitchen was going on when I came in.
A) trivial B) delicate C) minor D) miniature
52. There was a long silence between them after his angry words.
A) clumsy B) inconvenient C) funny D) awkward
53. The murderer with the crowds with an attempt to shoot at the Prime Minister whenever he seized a chance.
A) mingled B) fused C) stirred D) merged
54. In many cultures people who were thought to have the ability to dreams were likely to be highly respected.
A) interpre B) intervene C) inherit D) impart
55. It’s rather dangerous to touch it with a bare hand. You’d better the handle with a plastic cloth.
A) decorate B) animate C) stipulate D) insulate
56. Another urgent problem the new kingdom was that of the education of its citizens.
A) conflicting B) confronting C) competing D) combating
57. In winter your eyes should be from light reflected from the snow.
A) conserved B) shielded C) relieved D) preserved
58. The First World War had far-reaching in all the capitalist countries of the new world.
A) challenges B) compromises C) consequences D) sequences
59. A full of all the reasons for and against closing the railway has begun.
A) explosion B) exploration C) exploitation D) explanation
60. The continuous unrest was the nation’s economy.
A) exaggerating B) aggravating C) amending D) assimilate
61. While you pedal away on the exercise bicycle, a machine will be your breathing and pulse.
A) reviewing B) screening C) surveying D) monitoring
62. The dispute at the moment around whether other delegates should attend.
A) evolves B) resolves C) involves D) revolves
63. Some fish have a greater for acid water than others.
A) tolerance B) resistance C) dependence D) persistence
64. The school has been as the meeting place for the evening art club.
A) designed B) resigned C) designated D) signed
65. The mercury in the thermometer is to changes in temperature.
A) sensitive B) sensible C) sentimental D) sensational
66. American young people find the into adulthood easy to face.
A) transition B) transfer C) transfusion D) transport
67. Will this shelf the weight of the all these books?
A) retain B) maintain C) sustain D) remain
68. He was light-headed and was from what was going on around.
A) indifferent B) detached C) conscientious D) confidential
69. Some armed rebels the guards on duty outside the camp and wounded two of them.
A) withdrew B) revolted C) revenged D) assaulted
70. “MS” “Master of Science”, while “MA” means “Master of Arts”.
A) reclaims B) proclaims C) exclaims D) signifies
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