Section IIReading Comprehension

　　Part A

　　Directions:

　　Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1. (40 points)

　　Text 1

　　It is the world's fourth-most-important food crop, after maize, wheat and rice. It provides more calories, more quickly, using less land and in a wider range of climates than any other plant. It is, of course, the potato。

　　The United Nations has declared 2008 the International Year of the Potato. It hopes that greater awareness of the merits of potatoes will contribute to the achievement of its Millennium Development Goals, by helping to alleviate poverty, improve food security and promote economic development. It is always the international year of this or month of that. But the potato's unusual history means it is well worth celebrating by readers of The Economist because the potato is intertwined with economic development, trade liberalisation and globalisation。

　　Unlikely though it seems, the potato promoted economic development by underpinning the industrial revolution in England in the 19th century. It provided a cheap source of calories and was easy to cultivate, so it liberated workers from the land. Potatoes became popular in the north of England, as people there specialised in livestock farming and domestic industry, while farmers in the south (where the soil was more suitable) concentrated on wheat production. By a happy accident, this concentrated industrial activity in the regions where coal was readily available, and a potato-driven population boom provided ample workers for the new factories. Friedrich Engels even declared that the potato was the equal of iron for its “historically revolutionary role”。

　　The potato promoted free trade by contributing to the abolition of Britain's Corn Laws — the cause which prompted the founding of The Economist in 1843. The Corn Laws restricted imports of grain into the United Kingdom in order to protect domestic wheat producers. Landowners supported the laws, since cheap imported grain would reduce their income, but industrialists opposed them because imports would drive down the cost of food, allowing people to spend more on manufactured goods. Ultimately it was not the eloquence of the arguments against the Corn Laws that led to their abolition — and more's the pity. It was the tragedy of the Irish potato famine of 1845, in which 1million Irish perished when the potato crop on which they subsisted succumbed to blight. The need to import grain to relieve the situation in Ireland forced the government, which was dominated by landowners who backed the Corn Laws, to reverse its position。

　　This paved the way for liberalisation in other areas, and free trade became British policy. As the Duke of Wellington complained at the time, “rotten potatoes have done it all。”

　　In the form of French fries, served alongside burgers and Coca-Cola, potatoes are now an icon of globalisation. This is quite a turnaround given the scepticism which first greeted them on their arrival in the Old World in the 16th century. Spuds were variously thought to cause leprosy, to be fit only for animals, to be associated with the devil or to be poisonous. They took hold in 18th century Europe only when war and famine meant there was nothing else to eat; people then realised just how versatile and reliable they were. As Adam Smith, one of the potato's many admirers, observed at the time, “The very general use which is made of potatoes in these kingdoms as food for man is a convincing proof that the prejudices of a nation, with regard to diet, however deeply rooted, are by no means unconquerable。” Mashed, fried, boiled and roast, a humble tuber changed the world, and free-trading globalisers everywhere should celebrate it。

　　21. According to the text, what are the features of potatoes?

　　\[A\] Lower price, quicker growing speed, less land required, and wider range of climate。

　　\[B\] More calories, quicker growing speed, less labor required in growing and processing, and wider range of climate。

　　\[C\] More calories, quicker growing speed, less land required, and wider range of climate。

　　\[D\] More calories, quicker growing speed, less land required, and wider range of products to be made of。

　　22. What is the ultimate purpose of establishing 2008 the International Year of the Potato?

　　\[A\] Promote the sales volume of potatoes all over the globe。

　　\[B\] Help the farmers that grow potatoes but are still in poverty。

　　\[C\] Promote a greater awareness of the merits of potatoes among the public。

　　\[D\] Alleviate poverty, improve food security and promote economic development。

　　23. Friedrich Engels declared that the potato was the equal of iron for its “historically revolutionary role”， then according to the text, what does this “historically revolutionary role” refer to?

　　\[A\] Its high volume of production, and consequently lower price, greatly supported the workers in the factories then。

　　\[B\] It liberated workers from the land, thus providing labour force for the industry。

　　\[C\] It changed the agriculture structure of England, which ultimately resulted in a shift from an agricultural country to an industrial one。

　　\[D\] It can provide more calories, thus saving land for cotton growing, and consequently boosting the textile industry。

　　24. According to the text, which of the following is NOT true about Britain's Corn Laws?

　　\[A\] These laws were ultimately abolished after a fierce argument in the Parliament。

　　\[B\] Landowners supported the laws because domestic products were more expensive, and then they could gain more。

　　\[C\] Industrialists opposed the laws because cheap imported grains would help them develop the market。

　　\[D\] Irish potato famine of 1845 directly forced the government to reverse its position of sustaining these laws。

　　25. Why were potatoes at last accepted by Europeans?

　　\[A\] They changed their diet to a more diversified trend。

　　\[B\] French fries swept all over the world alongside burgers and Coca-Cola。

　　\[C\] Potatoes saved them when war and famine stroke Europe in 18th century。

　　\[D\] It became very important goods for Europe in trading with Asia。

　　Text 2

　　Twenty-seven years ago, Egypt revised its secular constitution to enshrine Muslim sharia as “the principal source of legislation”. To most citizens, most of the time, that seeming contradiction — between secularism and religion — has not made much difference. Nine in ten Egyptians are Sunni Muslims and expect Islam to govern such things as marriage, divorce and inheritance. Nearly all the rest profess Christianity or Judaism, faiths recognised and protected in Islam. But to the small minority who embrace other faiths, or who have tried to leave Islam, it has, until lately, made an increasingly troubling difference。

　　Members of Egypt's 2,000-strong Bahai community, for instance, have found they cannot state their religion on the national identity cards that all Egyptians are obliged to produce to secure such things as driver's licenses, bank accounts, social insurance and state schooling. Hundreds of Coptic Christians who have converted to Islam, often to escape the Orthodox sect's ban on divorce, find they cannot revert to their original faith. In some cases, children raised as Christians have discovered that, because a divorced parent converted to Islam, they too have become officially Muslim, and cannot claim otherwise。

　　Such restrictions on religious freedom are not directly a product of sharia, say human-rights campaigners, but rather of rigid interpretations of Islamic law by over-zealous officials. In their strict view, Bahai belief cannot be recognised as a legitimate faith, since it arose in the 19th century, long after Islam staked its claim to be the final revelation in a chain of prophecies beginning with Adam. Likewise, they brand any attempt to leave Islam, whatever the circumstances, as a form of apostasy, punishable by death。

　　But such views have lately been challenged. Last year Ali Gomaa, the Grand Mufti, who is the government's highest religious adviser, declared that nowhere in Islam's sacred texts did it say that apostasy need be punished in the present rather than by God in the afterlife. In the past month, Egyptian courts have issued two rulings that, while restricted in scope, should ease some bothersome strictures。

　　Bahais may now leave the space for religion on their identity cards blank. Twelve former Christians won a lawsuit and may now return to their original faith, on condition that their identity documents note their previous adherence to Islam。

　　Small steps, perhaps, but they point the way towards freedom of choice and citizenship based on equal rights rather than membership of a privileged religion。

　　26. According to the text, what impact did the revision of Egypt's secular constitution have on its citizens' lives?

　　\[A\] It did not make much difference to all the citizens。

　　\[B\] Most of the Muslims felt that there was no much difference, but Christians, Judaists and people who embraced other religions felt increasing troubles。

　　\[C\] Muslims, Christians and Judaists were protected in Islam, thus feeling no much difference, while other who embraced other faiths felt increasingly troubling difference。

　　\[D\] Only Buddhists were specially treated, while others not。

　　27. What trouble may people who are neither Muslims nor Christians nor Judaists encounter according to the text?

　　\[A\] They cannot preserve their own customs。

　　\[B\] They cannot state their religion on the national identity cards。

　　\[C\] They will not be able to divorce。

　　\[D\] They cannot leave Egypt。

　　28. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the text?

　　\[A\] Bahai belief is a legitimate faith according to some Islamic officials。

　　\[B\] Any attempt to leave Islam will be punishable by death, whatever the situation is。

　　\[C\] Bahai belief is a religion that boasts a long history。

　　\[D\] Islamic officials tend to employ strict interpretations of Islamic law when it comes to the issue of religious freedom。

　　29. What progress has now been made toward religious freedom?

　　\[A\] They can revert to their original faith freely, as long as it is clearly stated on their ID cards that they used to be in Islam。

　　\[B\] People may be freely reverted to their original faith, on condition that their children remain in Islam。

　　\[C\] To those who converted to Islam, only their children can be reverted to their original faith。

　　\[D\] The government has officially declared that such restriction on religious freedom would be abolished。

　　30. What is the main purpose of this text?

　　\[A\] To introduce the status quo of religious freedom in Egypt。

　　\[B\] To ask for help in alleviating the restricted religious freedom in Egypt。

　　\[C\] To force the government into action of some changes。

　　\[D\] To promote the idea that freedom of choice and citizenship shall be based on equal rights rather than membership of a privileged religion。

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