IV. Reading Comprehension (60 points)

　　Directions: There are five reading passages in this part. Each passage is followed by four questions. For each question there are four suggested answers marked A, B, C and D. Choose one best answer and blacken the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet.

　　Passage One

　　Two hundred years ago, American students went to American schools.Like you, they studied arithmetic, spelling and geography. Unlike you, they also studied Greek and Latin. In fact, students spent more than half their time studying Greek and Latin.

　　The same was true for most students in Europe. Until the seventh century, all educated Europeans knew Latin.It did not matter if they lived in England or Italy or France or Spain.If they were educated, they knew Latin.

　　During the seventh century, educated Europeans began to study Greek as well as Latin. Greek and Latin had been the leading languages of the ancient Greeks and Romans. All educated Europeans were expected to know these languages.

　　To educated Europeans, the languages ofthe Greeks and the Romans were important. The ideas of the Greeks and Romans were also important. People knew that many of their own ideas had come from the Greeks and the Romans. To understand their own culture, they must understand its origin.

　　They knew that those beginnings lay in the classical world.

　　Today we have so many things to study that few people have time to learn Greek and Latin. Few of you will study either language in school. Yet the ideas of the Greeks and the Romans are still important to us. These ideas still help to shape Western culture today. To understand our own culture, we must understand the culture of the classical world.

　　36. A good synonym for "origin" is__________.

　　A. people

　　B. future

　　C. beginning

　　D. culture

　　37. According to this passage, all educated Europeans of the seventh century were expected to study__________.

　　A. physical science and chemistry

　　B. Greek and Latin

　　C. democracy and communism

　　D. French and Spanish

　　35. Today, most of people won't study either Greek or Latin because__________.

　　A. they are no longer important

　　B. people do not have enough time

　　C. they are no longer existed

　　D. people can not learn them well

　　39. What can we conclude from this passage?

　　A. Greeks and Romans significantly influenced European culture.

　　B. The Greeks were the founders of democracy.

　　C. The Greeks and Romans were bitter enemies.

　　D. People of the classical world were barbaric and uneducated.

　　Passage Two

　　Would you eat a bacon, lettuce and love apple sandwich? You probably have eaten many of them.

　　Love apple was the name used many years ago for the tomato.

　　The tomato is originally an American plant.It was found in South America by early Spanish explorers. The word tomato comes from the native Nahuatl word tomatl. But when it moved north, the plant earned a different name. Remarkably, the settlers in North America thought it was poisonous.

　　They believed that to eat it was surely to die. It was said that deserted suitors would threaten to eat a tomato to cause their coldhearted lovers regret. Because of this legend, the settlers called the tomato a"love apple. " While people enjoyed other native plants such as corn and sweet potatoes, everyone avoided the tomato.

　　No one knows who first dared to eat a tomato. Perhaps someone was brave enough, or lovesick enough, to try out the truth of the rumors. Of course, whoever ate this fruit was perfectly safe. No one died from eating a love apple. Still, it was many years before the people fully believed that the tomato was a safe, and even good food. But its use did become common, and the plant was sent across the ocean to become part of many traditional European dishes.

　　40. The language from which we derived the word tomato is

　　A. Portuguese

　　B. Spanish

　　C. Nahuatl

　　D. European

　　41. North American people didn't eat tomatoes at first because__________.

　　A. they had too much other food

　　B. they mistakenly thought they were poisonous

　　C. settlers ate only traditional European foods

　　D. no one liked the taste

　　42. The underlined word "suitor" in the second paragraph means__________.

　　A. boyfriend

　　B. launderer

　　C. tailor

　　D. explorer

　　43. A good title for this passage would be__________.

　　A. Life in Early America

　　B. What Happens to the Brokenhearted

　　C. The History of the Tomato

　　D. Vegetables in Our Diet

　　Passage Three

　　Nature has devised many ways to protect creatures' eyes.The most common protection is the eyelid--a fold of skin that closes over the eye, protecting it from damage. Eyelashes are useful for keeping out dust and other irritants, and tears wash away any particles that get through the other defenses.

　　Some creatures, including most birds, have three eyelids.The upper and lower lids act like human lids and keep out twigs, dirt and sand. The third eyelid, however, is a semitransparent tissue that crosses over the eye from the inside corner to the outside corner.Because of this protective membrane, birds seldom have to blink. They close their eyes only when they go to sleep. In ducks,this third eyelid self as an underwater diving mask that helps the ducks find food.

　　Most fish and snakes have no eyelids at all. Instead, a hard glassy covering protects their eyes. In fish, water constantly sweeps away dirt from the covering. And a snake's eyesight is usually so bad that a little dirt obscuring its vision does not disturb it greatly.

　　Eyelashes defend the eye by shading it from glare. They also act like miniature brushes to remove dust. Camels have lashes that are four inches long to protect their eyes from windblown sand in the desert.

　　44. A camel has long eyelashes__________.

　　A. to keep windblown sand out of its eyes

　　B. that get in the way of its sight

　　C. to help it see better

　　D. to attract other camels

　　45. The writer implies that eyelids are__________.

　　A. not found on lizards

　　B. nice to look at

　　C. always covered with eyelashes

　　D. the most effective eye protection

　　46. The author compares the duck's third eyelid to a__________.

　　A. tissue

　　B. glassy covering

　　C. tiny brush

　　D. diving mask

　　47. A good title for this passage would be__________.

　　A. Look Out

　　B. Birds' Eyes

　　C. Eyes in the Night

　　D. Protecting the Eye

　　Passage Four

　　As part of an ongoing campaign against polyvinyl chloride (聚氯乙烯), a Virginia-based environmental advocacy group today called on manufacturers and retailers to phase out its use in shower curtains. The Center for Health, Environment and Justice ( CHEJ), released the results of a small study indicating that PVC (聚氯乙烯)-containing shower curtains are capable of emitting scores of potentially harmful materials, into people's bathrooms. A previous study, conducted by Environmental Protection Agency researchers, also found that plastic shower curtains can emit toxic compounds into the air.

　　There's still debate among scientists about just how serious the health effects are especially at low doses. However, CHEJ urges consumers to avoid using PVC shower curtains, as well as many otherPVC products.

　　For people who are concerned about their shower curtains, there are alternatives. IKEA phased out PVC shower curtains 11 years ago, switching to ethylene vinyl acetate(乙烯醋酸共聚物). The company has said that 88 percent of its shower curtains would be PVC free by spring of 2008.

　　Manufacturers are not required to label shower curtains, but some do list" PVC" or" vinyl"on the packaging. Numerous online retailers, sell shower curtains--primarily cotton or hemp--that are free of PVC. However, mildew(发霉) can be a problem with cotton and hemp products.

　　48. What did the study released by the Center for Health, Environment and Justice show?

　　A. That PVC stands for polyvinyl chloride.

　　B. Manufacturers are not required to label shower curtains.

　　C. That most shower curtains sold at IKEA are made from PVC.

　　D. That PVC shower curtains may release potentially harmful materials.

　　49. What material are the shower curtains sold at IKEA made from?

　　A. Ethylene vinyl acetate.

　　B. Polyvinyl chloride.

　　C. Cotton.

　　D. PVC and EVA.

　　50. What's the biggest problem with hemp and cotton shower curtains?

　　A. They are see-through.

　　B. They are too expensive.

　　C. They may cause mildew.

　　D. They emit harmful materials.

　　51. Is it easy for consumers to tell that a shower curtain is made from PVC?

　　A. Yes, that information is always on the shower curtain label.

　　B. Not always, because shower curtains don't have to be labeled.

　　C. Yes, but only if they're made by IKEA after 2008.

　　D. No, because they only contain low doses of PVC.

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