DAY60
Reading comprehension
Direction： In this part， there are four passages followed by questions or unfinished statements， each with four suggested answers marked A， B， C and D. Choose the one that you think is the correct answer.
Passage 1
Readers in Britain will， no doubt， be sick of the word “Greenwich”。The borough，a suburb of London， is cut in half by longitude 0°。This is the meridian line from which time （Greenwich Mean Time） is measured around the world. As a result， Greenwich has been chosen as the site for a huge exhibition to mark the turn of the millennium — an exhibition whose existence has been the cause of much hand wringing over the past few weeks.
After a government decision to back it （though not， it is promised， with taxpayers money）， the millennium exhibition now looks as if it will go ahead. But， with an exquisite irony， it seems likely that another government decision is going to close down the reason that the meridian goes through Greenwich in the first place the royal observatory that was founded there by King Charles II in 1675.
Though the royal Greenwich Observatory （RGO） actually deserted the smoggy skies of London long ago （its headquarters are now in Cambridge， and its telescopes are in the balmy climes of the Canary Islands）， it still does a lot of research. As such， it is probably the oldest scientific laboratory in the world. Indeed， until the title was unceremoniously stripped from the post in 1972， the RGOs head carried the pleasingly arcane responsibility of being “Astronomer Royal”（the handle is now borne by Mr. Martin Rees， who works just down the road from the RGO， at Cambridge University. ）。
The original reason for the RGOs creation was to try to solve the “l(fā)ongitude problem”， in other words， to work out a method by which a ships captain could calculate his vessels longitude at sea. The first Astronomer Royal， John Flamsteed， compiled the most accurate star catalogue of his day as part of this attempt （though the solution was eventually provided by John Harrison， a clock maker who designed a timepiece that was robust enough to withstand the rigours of sea travel， and was thus able to substitute for the stars in the relevant calculations）。 Today， the observatory is more concerned with issues like star formation and the origins of quasars，but it still does worldrespected science.
The Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council， to which it is now answerable，however， is not respecter of history. Though it will not say so publicly， the council seems keen to close the RGO and transfer its functions to the Royal Observatory， Edinburgh （founded in 1859）。 Its recommendation， arrived at secretly， is now on the desk of John Battle， Britains new science minister.
The closure of the RGO would not necessarily be a huge scientific loss， but it might be thought something of a shame. The amount of money that would be saved about ￡1（＄1.65） a year is not trivial， but neither is it enormous （the councils total annual budget is ￡200）。 By comparison， the dome that will house the millennium exhibition is expected to cost ￡40， while the budget for the exhibition as a whole is almost ￡600. If Mr.Battle decides that the government cannot afford the RGO， it might be a nice gesture if the exhibitions gesture could come up with a few extra coppers for the upkeep of the organization that is the ultimate reason they are there.
1. The main purpose of the passage is to .
A. propose to save the Royal Greenwich Observatory from closure
B. choose the RGO as the site for a huge exhibition
C. persuade the British government to give more budget to the huge exhibition
D. tell us the history of the RGO
2. According to the passage， which of the following is NOT true？
A. Longitude 0° is the meridian line from which time is measured around the world.
B. British government backed the millennium exhibition promising not using the taxpayers money.
C. The RGO was founded by King Charles Ⅲ in 1675.
D. The RGO still does a lot of researches.
3. Which is the original reason for the RGOs foundation？
A. The first Astronomer Royal， John Flamsteed， compiled the most accurate star catalogue.
B. The climes of the Canary Island are balmy.
C. The ships captain could calculate his vessels longitude at sea with the help of the RGO.
D. It was the order of the King.
4. It can be inferred from this passage that
A. The Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council claimed publicly to close down the RGO.
B. The closure of the RGO would be a huge scientific loss.
C. The RGO is more concerned with the issue like star formation and the origins of quasars.
D. The British government can not afford the RGO.
5. What does the underlined word “arcane” mean？
A. secret， mysterious B. natural
C. entirely， completely D. amazing， surprising
Passage 2
Boasting itself to be the “model of democracy，” the United States has been trying hard to sell to the world its mode of democracy. In fact， American “democracy” has always been democracy of the rich， a small number of the population. Just as an article in the International Herald Tribute of the January 24， 2002 issue says， “The American problem is domination of politics by money”。
According to an analysis made by the Associated Press based on data from the Federal Election Commission， in the 2002 midterm elections，95 percent of the seats in the House of Representatives and 75 percent of the seats of the Senate went to candidates who had spent the most in campaigning. In a report filed on August 30， 2002， AP said President George W. Bush， in order to win control the House and the Senate， cashed in on his cachet to raise donations for midterm elections of his Republicans， and collected $110 million for three GOP candidates in Oklahoma and Arkansas， setting records in campaign cash raising. Election of judges in the United States is also like a race of money. In the year of 2000， judge candidates in only two states bought TV advertising， whereas during the midterm elections in 2002， chief justice candidates in nine states bought TV commercials.
“Money politics” has made more and more American people lose interest in political participation. Statistics show the United States has experienced declining voter turnout in presidential election years for about four decades. In contrast， 60 percent of eligible voters shunned the midterm elections in 2002， leaving the voter turnout at 40 percent.
A survey of minority voters in three cities of California showed almost all the surveyed were fed up with the fact that money can buy over politics and were not interested in political participation. Asian American voters reckoned that money had too much influence over politics， which is unfair； African Americans and Hispanics felt being shut out of the door of politics and had become victims.
The United States has been flaunting its “freedom of the press，” but it met with criticisms from many sides in 2002 in this respect. In an annual report published on February 21，2002， the International Press Institute accused the United States of violating freedom of the press and said it is the most astonishing event of 2001 that the way the Bush administration treated the work of the media during the Afghan war and the practices of the Bush administration attempting to suppress freedom of speech by independent media （Vienna， February 21， 2002， AFP）。 Two senior journalists with the Washington Post wrote in their book entitled The News About the News： American Journalism in Peril that practices of pursuing profits have destroyed the sense of mission of the journalistic community of the United States， and believed an overwhelming majority of the media owners and publishing businessmen forced newspaper editor and TV news executives to concentrate on profits as opposed to quality of coverage （New York， March 29，2002， AP）。 In its annual report published on May 2， 2002， Reporters Without Borders exposed since September 11 attacks， the United States has exerted pressure on the journalistic community in the war against terrorism， which has restricted freedom of the press （Paris， May 2，2002， EFE）
On August 6，2002， a major news organ in the United States published a survey showing the public wanting the media to “shut up.” The survey found among the respondents， 69 percent believe the media is biased， and over twothirds of them read news reports with disbelief.
1. Whats the best title for this passage？
A. Presidential Election in the USA B. Moneydriven Democracy
C. Freedom of SpeechD. The biased media
2. Which of the following statement is not TRUE according to the passage？
A. “Money Politics” has made more and more American people lose interest in political participation.
B. American “democracy” has always been democracy of the rich， a small number of the population.
C. The number of the voter turnout in presidential election is increasing.
D. Freedom of the press in the USA met with criticism from many sides.
3. According the passage， who forced the media to concentrate on profits as opposed the quality of coverage？
A. American government
B. The media owners and publishing businessmen
C. Newspaper editor and TV news executives
D. The journalists
4. What does the underlined word “shun” mean？
A. shiver， tremble B. keep away from， avoid
C. close， block D. shrunk
5. The author has a（n） attitude towards political election in the USA.
A. critical B. favourableC. optimisticD. indifferent
Passage 3
The earth last year was at its hottest since records began. Scientists at Hadley Centre of Climate Prediction and Research said yesterday that， on average， the worlds temperature is 1℃， higher than in 1860， when measurements were first properly recorded.
The United Nations team of climate scientists charged with advising governments about the myth or reality of global warming recently concluded that the world is in the grip of a greenhouse effect that is at least partly attributable to mankinds carbon emissions.
They said： “The balance of evidence suggests a discernible human influence on global climate through emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.”
The official figures for 1995 confirm their fears that， by 2052， the world could be 2℃ hotter unless urgent action is taken. While this may not appear a huge increase， a permanent shift in global temperatures of this magnitude could have devastating effects on agriculture， wildlife and water supplies. Dr.Phil Jones of the University of East Anglias climate Research Unit in Norwich， which has helped the Meteorological Office to compile the figures， said yesterday：“The way to understand it is by comparison with last years temperature in Britain. It was 10.5℃ or one degree above the average. A lot of people thought it was very hot last year. What might they think if it were to become two degrees higher， which is a bit warmer？”
Scientists still cannot say for certain how the worlds climate will behave. The missing links are the levels of rainfall likely over different continents， and whether the Gulf Stream， which warms Britain， might shift south， causing cooling rather than heating.
The new figures show that， on average， surface temperature last year was 0.4℃ above the 1961—1990 average， which is the 30year yardstick against which measurements are made. Previously， 1990 had been recorded as the warmest year， with temperatures climbing to an average 0.36℃ above the 30year level.
The gradual warming of the Earths surface was slowed down by the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines in June 1991. The volcano pumped thousands of tons of dust into the atmosphere， creating a veil that filtered the Suns ray. Researchers say the dust effect has now disappeared and warming has recommenced.
Dr.Jones said： “1995 was the warmest year and we would expect gradually to get more and more of these. They will go on. Its all down to burning fossil fuels and the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere from power stations. To slow it down， we have really got to do something and that is where the political side of things comes in.”
While Britain and Germany are pushing hard for cuts in emissions beyond 2000， scientists concerned that America， the most important country in climate negotiations， is being overwhelmed by lobbying from industry and big business.
Researchers investigating the likely effect of climatic change on the frequency of food poisoning have found evidence suggesting that the food industry， and not the housewife， is to blame for the rising number of cases.
A team at the University of East Anglia compared the number of cases of food poisoning in England and Wales with the average monthly temperatures and found the crucial factor was the temperature of the previous month， and not the month in which the food was consumed， suggesting the food was contaminated on the farm or in the food processing industry rather than in the home.
1. Which of the following would be the most appropriate title for this passage？
A. Warning on greenhouseB. Carbon dioxide gases
C. Global warningD. Food poisoning cases
2. It can be inferred that the author has a（n） attitude towards the international cooperation with America concerning the reduction in emissions.
A. worriedB. indifferentC. sympatheticD. objective
3. It is true that
A. the greenhouse effect that completely attributes to mankinds carbon emissions.
B. scientists can say for certain how the worlds climate will behave.
C. the rising global temperature will have devastating effects on agriculture， wild life and water supplies.
D. the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines sped up the warming of the Earths surface.
4. In paragraph 8， Line 2， the word “these” refers to.
A. the eruption of volcanoB. warm year
C. fossil fuelsD. carbon dioxide
5. is to blame for the frequency of food poisoning cases.
A. The housewifeB. Temperature of the previous month
C. Food in the homeD. The food processing industry
Passage 4
Perhaps all criminals should be required to carry words which read，“Fragile： Handle With Care.” It will never do， these days， to go around referring to criminals as violent thugs. You must refer to then politely as social misfits. The professional killer who wouldnt think twice about using his cosh or crowbar to batter some harmless old lady to death in order to rob her of her meager lifesavings must never be given a dose of his own medicine. He is in need of hospital treatment. According to his misguided defenders， society should be blamed. A wicked society breeds evil— or so the argument goes. When you listen to this kind of talk， it makes you wonder why we arent all criminals. We have done away with the absurdly harsh laws of the nineteenth century and this is only right. But surely enough is enough. The most senseless piece of criminal legislation in Britain and a number of other countries has been the suspension of capital punishment（死刑）。
The violent criminal has become a kind of herofigure in our time. He is glorified on the screen； he is pursued by the press and paid vast sums of money for his 'memoirs'。 Newspapers that specialize in crime reporting enjoy enormous circulations and the publishers of trashy cops and robbers stories or 'murder mysteries’ have never had it so good. When you read about the achievements of the great train robbers， it makes you wonder whether you are reading about some glorious resistance movement. The hardened criminal is cuddled and cosseted by the sociologists on the one hand and adored as a hero by the masses on the other. Its no wonder he is a privileged person who expects and receives VIP treatment wherever he goes.
Capital punishment used to be a major deterrent. It made the violent robber think twice before pulling the trigger. It gave the coldblooded poisoner something to ponder about while he was shaking up or serving his arsenic cocktail. It prevented unarmed policemen from being mowed down while pursuing their duty by killers armed with automatic weapons. Above all， it protected the most vulnerable members of society， young children， from brutal sexmaniacs. It is horrifying to think that the criminal can literally get away with murder. We all know that life sentence does not mean what it says. After ten years or so of good conduct， the most desperate villain is free to return to society where he will live very comfortably， thank you， on the proceeds of his crime， or he will go on committing offences until he is caught again. People are always willing to hold liberal views at the expense of others. Its always fashionable to pose as the defender of the underdog， so long as you， personally， remain unaffected. Did the defenders of crime， one wonders in their desire for fairplay， consult the victims before they suspended capital punishment？ Hardly. You see， they couldnt， because all the victims were dead.
1. The tone of this passage is
A. serious B. humorousC. sarcasticD. relaxing
2. According to the passage， which of the following statement does the author not mention？
A. The violent criminal has become a kind of herofigure in our time.
B. It is very stupid to suspend the capital punishment.
C. The crimereporting newspapers enjoy enormous circulations.
D. Criminals need medical care because they are badly treated by the society.
3. In paragraph 2， what does the underlined word “cosseted” mean？
A. give a lot of attention to making someone comfortable and to protecting him or her from anything unpleasant.
B. try to make someone as if he is completely evil
C. deceive someone
D. destroy or remove completely
4. The attitude of the author towards the capital punishment might best be summarized as.
A. dissatisfactionB. suspicionC. approvalD. tolerance
5. The main idea of this passage is .
A. a wicked society breeds evil — there are so many violent criminals
B. capital punishment is the only way to deter criminals.
C. criminals enjoy many privileges
D. capital punishment should be suspended
Keys and notes for the passage reading：
Passage 1
本文簡單地介紹了皇家格林威治天文臺的歷史，呼吁社會保住天文臺。
1. The original reason for the RGOs creation was to try to solve the “l(fā)ongitude problem”， in other words， to work out a method by which a ships captain could calculate his vessels longitude at sea. 建造皇家格林威治天文臺的最初原因是為了解決 “方位問題”——也就是想研究出一種方法來幫助航行在海上的輪船船長們確定其所在位置。
2. The first Astronomer Royal， John Flamsteed， compiled the most accurate star catalogue of his day as part of this attempt （though the solution was eventually provided by John Harrison， a clock maker who designed a timepiece that was robust enough to withstand the rigours of sea travel， and was thus able to substitute for the stars in the relevant calculations）。 第一任觀象大公約翰·弗拉姆斯蒂德就曾為此編制出了他那時候最精確的星體圖（最終的解決方法是由鐘表匠約翰·哈里森提出的。他設(shè)計了一只經(jīng)得住海浪顛簸﹑ 結(jié)實耐用的鐘，并以它代替各種星體，進行相關(guān)的演算。）
1. 「A」本文第二段說，英國政府要關(guān)閉皇家格林威治天文臺是荒唐滑稽的， 最后一段作者建議：如果展覽會的籌辦者們能為保住皇家格林威治天文臺再稍稍多拿些錢的話，就不失為一項善舉了。所以此文的目的是為保住皇家格林威治天文臺。
2. 「C」皇家格林威治天文臺是由英王查理二世于1675創(chuàng)建的，而不是查理三世創(chuàng)建的； 選項A見第一段第三句，選項B見第二段第一行括號內(nèi)容，英國政府支持千年紀念展覽會，許諾不用納稅人的錢，選項D見第三段第一句。
3. 「C」見第四段第一句（參見難句解析1）。 其他選項A，B，D都不是最初的原因。
4. 「C」第四段描述了皇家格林威治天文臺更多地側(cè)重于諸如星體形成和類星體起源之類的問題； 英國粒子物理和天文研究委員會是不公開聲明關(guān)閉皇家格林威治天文臺的，所以A錯； B項與最后一段第一句不符； 選項D在文中只是假設(shè)，不是事實。
5. 「A」“arcane”的意思是神秘的、秘密的。
Passage 2
本文介紹了美國的金錢政治，并因此造成美國新聞自由受到各方面的限制；大多數(shù)公眾都對媒體表示懷疑。
Two senior journalists with the Washington Post wrote in their book entitled The News About the News： American Journalism in Peril that practices of pursuing profits have destroyed the sense of mission of the journalistic community of the United States， and believed an overwhelming majority of the media owners and publishing businessmen forced newspaper editor and TV news executives to concentrate on profits as opposed to quality of coverage. 《華盛頓郵報》兩名資深人士出版的題為《危機中的美國新聞》一書指出，追求利潤的做法破壞了美國新聞界的使命感， “大多數(shù)業(yè)主和發(fā)行商都強行要求編輯人員更多地關(guān)注利潤的高低，而不是關(guān)注新聞的好壞?！?BR> 1. 「B」可參考文章大意，“以金錢所驅(qū)動的民主”為標題。
2. 「C」文中第三段第二句說：據(jù)統(tǒng)計， 美國選民參加總統(tǒng)大選的比率呈下降趨勢， 因此C項錯。選項A，B，D均可在原文中找到。
3. 「B」見第五段第三句
4. 「B」“shun”是“避開， 回避”的意思。
5. 「A」本文提到美國的“金錢政治” 使越來越多的美國民眾失去了參與政治的熱情；根據(jù)對加州三個城市少數(shù)族裔選民的調(diào)查顯示，幾乎所有被調(diào)查者都對金錢能買通政治感到厭倦，亞裔選民認為金錢對政治影響過大，不公平； 黑人和拉丁族裔感到被關(guān)在政治門外， 成為政治的犧牲品。所以作者是持批評態(tài)度的。
Passage 3
人類排放的二氧化碳和別的能產(chǎn)生溫室效應(yīng)的氣體使全球變暖，可能會產(chǎn)生災(zāi)難性后果。
The United Nations team of climate scientists charged with advising governments about the myth or reality of global warming recently concluded that the world is in the grip of a greenhouse effect that is at least partly attributable to mankinds carbon emissions. 負責(zé)向各國政府提出關(guān)于全球正在變暖到底是神話還是事實的聯(lián)合國氣候?qū)＜医M最近作出結(jié)論： 世界目前正處于溫室效應(yīng)的控制下，這至少應(yīng)部分地歸因于人類所排放的碳。
1. 「A」本文通篇在講由于溫室效應(yīng)而導(dǎo)致氣溫上升， 食物污染與氣溫有關(guān)， 作者向人們敲響了溫室效應(yīng)的警鐘， 所以選A.
2. 「A」倒數(shù)第三段中說到：科學(xué)家們主要對美國這個需要在氣候方面與之磋商的最重要的國家感到擔(dān)憂， 因為這個國家正淹沒于工業(yè)界和龐大的商業(yè)界的游說中，所以選A.
3. 「C」文中第二段說：世界目前正處于溫室效應(yīng)的控制下， 這至少應(yīng)部分歸因于人類所排放的碳，而A項認為完全歸因于人類所排放的碳，過于絕對?？茖W(xué)家們不能判定世界氣候會怎樣變化，因此B錯；從第十段第一句可知D錯。C項可從第四段中找到，上升的全球溫度將會對農(nóng)業(yè)、野生動植物以及水資源產(chǎn)生災(zāi)難性的后果。
4. 「B」原句意為“1995年是最熱的一年， 我們預(yù)期熱年情況會越來越多”， 所以應(yīng)選B.
5. 「D」見倒數(shù)第二段的最后一句。
Passage 4
作者用諷刺的語言描述當今社會罪犯的猖狂，提出死刑是惟一威懾犯罪的方法。
1. The professional killer who wouldnt think twice about using his cosh or crowbar to batter some harmless old lady to death in order to rob her of her meager lifesavings must never be given a dose of his own medicine. 一個職業(yè)殺手毫不猶豫地使用他的鐵芯橡皮管或鐵棍，把一個無辜的老嫗活活打死，只是為了搶劫她一生微薄的積蓄。對這樣的人，我們卻不能以其人之道還治其人之身。
2. It gave the coldblooded poisoner something to ponder about while he was shaking up or serving his arsenic cocktail. 它也會使那些冷血投毒者在攪拌和端上摻砒霜的雞尾酒的時候，能思考片刻。
1. 「C」縱觀全文，作者諷刺社會上種種宣揚罪犯的現(xiàn)象，提倡死刑，以示警戒。所以應(yīng)選C.
2. 「D」A項見第二段第一句； B項見第一段最后一句，英國和其他許多國家的刑法中最愚昧的一條就是中止了極刑； C項見第二段第三句； D項未提及。
3. 「A」“cosset”意思為“受寵， 嬌養(yǎng)”。
4. 「C」見第一段最后一句和最后一段第一句，“極刑曾經(jīng)是一種主要的威懾手段”，作者在文中還列舉了它的種種威懾效應(yīng)，可見作者贊同極刑。
5. 「B」可參照第4題的分析講解。
Reading comprehension
Direction： In this part， there are four passages followed by questions or unfinished statements， each with four suggested answers marked A， B， C and D. Choose the one that you think is the correct answer.
Passage 1
Readers in Britain will， no doubt， be sick of the word “Greenwich”。The borough，a suburb of London， is cut in half by longitude 0°。This is the meridian line from which time （Greenwich Mean Time） is measured around the world. As a result， Greenwich has been chosen as the site for a huge exhibition to mark the turn of the millennium — an exhibition whose existence has been the cause of much hand wringing over the past few weeks.
After a government decision to back it （though not， it is promised， with taxpayers money）， the millennium exhibition now looks as if it will go ahead. But， with an exquisite irony， it seems likely that another government decision is going to close down the reason that the meridian goes through Greenwich in the first place the royal observatory that was founded there by King Charles II in 1675.
Though the royal Greenwich Observatory （RGO） actually deserted the smoggy skies of London long ago （its headquarters are now in Cambridge， and its telescopes are in the balmy climes of the Canary Islands）， it still does a lot of research. As such， it is probably the oldest scientific laboratory in the world. Indeed， until the title was unceremoniously stripped from the post in 1972， the RGOs head carried the pleasingly arcane responsibility of being “Astronomer Royal”（the handle is now borne by Mr. Martin Rees， who works just down the road from the RGO， at Cambridge University. ）。
The original reason for the RGOs creation was to try to solve the “l(fā)ongitude problem”， in other words， to work out a method by which a ships captain could calculate his vessels longitude at sea. The first Astronomer Royal， John Flamsteed， compiled the most accurate star catalogue of his day as part of this attempt （though the solution was eventually provided by John Harrison， a clock maker who designed a timepiece that was robust enough to withstand the rigours of sea travel， and was thus able to substitute for the stars in the relevant calculations）。 Today， the observatory is more concerned with issues like star formation and the origins of quasars，but it still does worldrespected science.
The Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council， to which it is now answerable，however， is not respecter of history. Though it will not say so publicly， the council seems keen to close the RGO and transfer its functions to the Royal Observatory， Edinburgh （founded in 1859）。 Its recommendation， arrived at secretly， is now on the desk of John Battle， Britains new science minister.
The closure of the RGO would not necessarily be a huge scientific loss， but it might be thought something of a shame. The amount of money that would be saved about ￡1（＄1.65） a year is not trivial， but neither is it enormous （the councils total annual budget is ￡200）。 By comparison， the dome that will house the millennium exhibition is expected to cost ￡40， while the budget for the exhibition as a whole is almost ￡600. If Mr.Battle decides that the government cannot afford the RGO， it might be a nice gesture if the exhibitions gesture could come up with a few extra coppers for the upkeep of the organization that is the ultimate reason they are there.
1. The main purpose of the passage is to .
A. propose to save the Royal Greenwich Observatory from closure
B. choose the RGO as the site for a huge exhibition
C. persuade the British government to give more budget to the huge exhibition
D. tell us the history of the RGO
2. According to the passage， which of the following is NOT true？
A. Longitude 0° is the meridian line from which time is measured around the world.
B. British government backed the millennium exhibition promising not using the taxpayers money.
C. The RGO was founded by King Charles Ⅲ in 1675.
D. The RGO still does a lot of researches.
3. Which is the original reason for the RGOs foundation？
A. The first Astronomer Royal， John Flamsteed， compiled the most accurate star catalogue.
B. The climes of the Canary Island are balmy.
C. The ships captain could calculate his vessels longitude at sea with the help of the RGO.
D. It was the order of the King.
4. It can be inferred from this passage that
A. The Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council claimed publicly to close down the RGO.
B. The closure of the RGO would be a huge scientific loss.
C. The RGO is more concerned with the issue like star formation and the origins of quasars.
D. The British government can not afford the RGO.
5. What does the underlined word “arcane” mean？
A. secret， mysterious B. natural
C. entirely， completely D. amazing， surprising
Passage 2
Boasting itself to be the “model of democracy，” the United States has been trying hard to sell to the world its mode of democracy. In fact， American “democracy” has always been democracy of the rich， a small number of the population. Just as an article in the International Herald Tribute of the January 24， 2002 issue says， “The American problem is domination of politics by money”。
According to an analysis made by the Associated Press based on data from the Federal Election Commission， in the 2002 midterm elections，95 percent of the seats in the House of Representatives and 75 percent of the seats of the Senate went to candidates who had spent the most in campaigning. In a report filed on August 30， 2002， AP said President George W. Bush， in order to win control the House and the Senate， cashed in on his cachet to raise donations for midterm elections of his Republicans， and collected $110 million for three GOP candidates in Oklahoma and Arkansas， setting records in campaign cash raising. Election of judges in the United States is also like a race of money. In the year of 2000， judge candidates in only two states bought TV advertising， whereas during the midterm elections in 2002， chief justice candidates in nine states bought TV commercials.
“Money politics” has made more and more American people lose interest in political participation. Statistics show the United States has experienced declining voter turnout in presidential election years for about four decades. In contrast， 60 percent of eligible voters shunned the midterm elections in 2002， leaving the voter turnout at 40 percent.
A survey of minority voters in three cities of California showed almost all the surveyed were fed up with the fact that money can buy over politics and were not interested in political participation. Asian American voters reckoned that money had too much influence over politics， which is unfair； African Americans and Hispanics felt being shut out of the door of politics and had become victims.
The United States has been flaunting its “freedom of the press，” but it met with criticisms from many sides in 2002 in this respect. In an annual report published on February 21，2002， the International Press Institute accused the United States of violating freedom of the press and said it is the most astonishing event of 2001 that the way the Bush administration treated the work of the media during the Afghan war and the practices of the Bush administration attempting to suppress freedom of speech by independent media （Vienna， February 21， 2002， AFP）。 Two senior journalists with the Washington Post wrote in their book entitled The News About the News： American Journalism in Peril that practices of pursuing profits have destroyed the sense of mission of the journalistic community of the United States， and believed an overwhelming majority of the media owners and publishing businessmen forced newspaper editor and TV news executives to concentrate on profits as opposed to quality of coverage （New York， March 29，2002， AP）。 In its annual report published on May 2， 2002， Reporters Without Borders exposed since September 11 attacks， the United States has exerted pressure on the journalistic community in the war against terrorism， which has restricted freedom of the press （Paris， May 2，2002， EFE）
On August 6，2002， a major news organ in the United States published a survey showing the public wanting the media to “shut up.” The survey found among the respondents， 69 percent believe the media is biased， and over twothirds of them read news reports with disbelief.
1. Whats the best title for this passage？
A. Presidential Election in the USA B. Moneydriven Democracy
C. Freedom of SpeechD. The biased media
2. Which of the following statement is not TRUE according to the passage？
A. “Money Politics” has made more and more American people lose interest in political participation.
B. American “democracy” has always been democracy of the rich， a small number of the population.
C. The number of the voter turnout in presidential election is increasing.
D. Freedom of the press in the USA met with criticism from many sides.
3. According the passage， who forced the media to concentrate on profits as opposed the quality of coverage？
A. American government
B. The media owners and publishing businessmen
C. Newspaper editor and TV news executives
D. The journalists
4. What does the underlined word “shun” mean？
A. shiver， tremble B. keep away from， avoid
C. close， block D. shrunk
5. The author has a（n） attitude towards political election in the USA.
A. critical B. favourableC. optimisticD. indifferent
Passage 3
The earth last year was at its hottest since records began. Scientists at Hadley Centre of Climate Prediction and Research said yesterday that， on average， the worlds temperature is 1℃， higher than in 1860， when measurements were first properly recorded.
The United Nations team of climate scientists charged with advising governments about the myth or reality of global warming recently concluded that the world is in the grip of a greenhouse effect that is at least partly attributable to mankinds carbon emissions.
They said： “The balance of evidence suggests a discernible human influence on global climate through emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.”
The official figures for 1995 confirm their fears that， by 2052， the world could be 2℃ hotter unless urgent action is taken. While this may not appear a huge increase， a permanent shift in global temperatures of this magnitude could have devastating effects on agriculture， wildlife and water supplies. Dr.Phil Jones of the University of East Anglias climate Research Unit in Norwich， which has helped the Meteorological Office to compile the figures， said yesterday：“The way to understand it is by comparison with last years temperature in Britain. It was 10.5℃ or one degree above the average. A lot of people thought it was very hot last year. What might they think if it were to become two degrees higher， which is a bit warmer？”
Scientists still cannot say for certain how the worlds climate will behave. The missing links are the levels of rainfall likely over different continents， and whether the Gulf Stream， which warms Britain， might shift south， causing cooling rather than heating.
The new figures show that， on average， surface temperature last year was 0.4℃ above the 1961—1990 average， which is the 30year yardstick against which measurements are made. Previously， 1990 had been recorded as the warmest year， with temperatures climbing to an average 0.36℃ above the 30year level.
The gradual warming of the Earths surface was slowed down by the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines in June 1991. The volcano pumped thousands of tons of dust into the atmosphere， creating a veil that filtered the Suns ray. Researchers say the dust effect has now disappeared and warming has recommenced.
Dr.Jones said： “1995 was the warmest year and we would expect gradually to get more and more of these. They will go on. Its all down to burning fossil fuels and the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere from power stations. To slow it down， we have really got to do something and that is where the political side of things comes in.”
While Britain and Germany are pushing hard for cuts in emissions beyond 2000， scientists concerned that America， the most important country in climate negotiations， is being overwhelmed by lobbying from industry and big business.
Researchers investigating the likely effect of climatic change on the frequency of food poisoning have found evidence suggesting that the food industry， and not the housewife， is to blame for the rising number of cases.
A team at the University of East Anglia compared the number of cases of food poisoning in England and Wales with the average monthly temperatures and found the crucial factor was the temperature of the previous month， and not the month in which the food was consumed， suggesting the food was contaminated on the farm or in the food processing industry rather than in the home.
1. Which of the following would be the most appropriate title for this passage？
A. Warning on greenhouseB. Carbon dioxide gases
C. Global warningD. Food poisoning cases
2. It can be inferred that the author has a（n） attitude towards the international cooperation with America concerning the reduction in emissions.
A. worriedB. indifferentC. sympatheticD. objective
3. It is true that
A. the greenhouse effect that completely attributes to mankinds carbon emissions.
B. scientists can say for certain how the worlds climate will behave.
C. the rising global temperature will have devastating effects on agriculture， wild life and water supplies.
D. the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines sped up the warming of the Earths surface.
4. In paragraph 8， Line 2， the word “these” refers to.
A. the eruption of volcanoB. warm year
C. fossil fuelsD. carbon dioxide
5. is to blame for the frequency of food poisoning cases.
A. The housewifeB. Temperature of the previous month
C. Food in the homeD. The food processing industry
Passage 4
Perhaps all criminals should be required to carry words which read，“Fragile： Handle With Care.” It will never do， these days， to go around referring to criminals as violent thugs. You must refer to then politely as social misfits. The professional killer who wouldnt think twice about using his cosh or crowbar to batter some harmless old lady to death in order to rob her of her meager lifesavings must never be given a dose of his own medicine. He is in need of hospital treatment. According to his misguided defenders， society should be blamed. A wicked society breeds evil— or so the argument goes. When you listen to this kind of talk， it makes you wonder why we arent all criminals. We have done away with the absurdly harsh laws of the nineteenth century and this is only right. But surely enough is enough. The most senseless piece of criminal legislation in Britain and a number of other countries has been the suspension of capital punishment（死刑）。
The violent criminal has become a kind of herofigure in our time. He is glorified on the screen； he is pursued by the press and paid vast sums of money for his 'memoirs'。 Newspapers that specialize in crime reporting enjoy enormous circulations and the publishers of trashy cops and robbers stories or 'murder mysteries’ have never had it so good. When you read about the achievements of the great train robbers， it makes you wonder whether you are reading about some glorious resistance movement. The hardened criminal is cuddled and cosseted by the sociologists on the one hand and adored as a hero by the masses on the other. Its no wonder he is a privileged person who expects and receives VIP treatment wherever he goes.
Capital punishment used to be a major deterrent. It made the violent robber think twice before pulling the trigger. It gave the coldblooded poisoner something to ponder about while he was shaking up or serving his arsenic cocktail. It prevented unarmed policemen from being mowed down while pursuing their duty by killers armed with automatic weapons. Above all， it protected the most vulnerable members of society， young children， from brutal sexmaniacs. It is horrifying to think that the criminal can literally get away with murder. We all know that life sentence does not mean what it says. After ten years or so of good conduct， the most desperate villain is free to return to society where he will live very comfortably， thank you， on the proceeds of his crime， or he will go on committing offences until he is caught again. People are always willing to hold liberal views at the expense of others. Its always fashionable to pose as the defender of the underdog， so long as you， personally， remain unaffected. Did the defenders of crime， one wonders in their desire for fairplay， consult the victims before they suspended capital punishment？ Hardly. You see， they couldnt， because all the victims were dead.
1. The tone of this passage is
A. serious B. humorousC. sarcasticD. relaxing
2. According to the passage， which of the following statement does the author not mention？
A. The violent criminal has become a kind of herofigure in our time.
B. It is very stupid to suspend the capital punishment.
C. The crimereporting newspapers enjoy enormous circulations.
D. Criminals need medical care because they are badly treated by the society.
3. In paragraph 2， what does the underlined word “cosseted” mean？
A. give a lot of attention to making someone comfortable and to protecting him or her from anything unpleasant.
B. try to make someone as if he is completely evil
C. deceive someone
D. destroy or remove completely
4. The attitude of the author towards the capital punishment might best be summarized as.
A. dissatisfactionB. suspicionC. approvalD. tolerance
5. The main idea of this passage is .
A. a wicked society breeds evil — there are so many violent criminals
B. capital punishment is the only way to deter criminals.
C. criminals enjoy many privileges
D. capital punishment should be suspended
Keys and notes for the passage reading：
Passage 1
本文簡單地介紹了皇家格林威治天文臺的歷史，呼吁社會保住天文臺。
1. The original reason for the RGOs creation was to try to solve the “l(fā)ongitude problem”， in other words， to work out a method by which a ships captain could calculate his vessels longitude at sea. 建造皇家格林威治天文臺的最初原因是為了解決 “方位問題”——也就是想研究出一種方法來幫助航行在海上的輪船船長們確定其所在位置。
2. The first Astronomer Royal， John Flamsteed， compiled the most accurate star catalogue of his day as part of this attempt （though the solution was eventually provided by John Harrison， a clock maker who designed a timepiece that was robust enough to withstand the rigours of sea travel， and was thus able to substitute for the stars in the relevant calculations）。 第一任觀象大公約翰·弗拉姆斯蒂德就曾為此編制出了他那時候最精確的星體圖（最終的解決方法是由鐘表匠約翰·哈里森提出的。他設(shè)計了一只經(jīng)得住海浪顛簸﹑ 結(jié)實耐用的鐘，并以它代替各種星體，進行相關(guān)的演算。）
1. 「A」本文第二段說，英國政府要關(guān)閉皇家格林威治天文臺是荒唐滑稽的， 最后一段作者建議：如果展覽會的籌辦者們能為保住皇家格林威治天文臺再稍稍多拿些錢的話，就不失為一項善舉了。所以此文的目的是為保住皇家格林威治天文臺。
2. 「C」皇家格林威治天文臺是由英王查理二世于1675創(chuàng)建的，而不是查理三世創(chuàng)建的； 選項A見第一段第三句，選項B見第二段第一行括號內(nèi)容，英國政府支持千年紀念展覽會，許諾不用納稅人的錢，選項D見第三段第一句。
3. 「C」見第四段第一句（參見難句解析1）。 其他選項A，B，D都不是最初的原因。
4. 「C」第四段描述了皇家格林威治天文臺更多地側(cè)重于諸如星體形成和類星體起源之類的問題； 英國粒子物理和天文研究委員會是不公開聲明關(guān)閉皇家格林威治天文臺的，所以A錯； B項與最后一段第一句不符； 選項D在文中只是假設(shè)，不是事實。
5. 「A」“arcane”的意思是神秘的、秘密的。
Passage 2
本文介紹了美國的金錢政治，并因此造成美國新聞自由受到各方面的限制；大多數(shù)公眾都對媒體表示懷疑。
Two senior journalists with the Washington Post wrote in their book entitled The News About the News： American Journalism in Peril that practices of pursuing profits have destroyed the sense of mission of the journalistic community of the United States， and believed an overwhelming majority of the media owners and publishing businessmen forced newspaper editor and TV news executives to concentrate on profits as opposed to quality of coverage. 《華盛頓郵報》兩名資深人士出版的題為《危機中的美國新聞》一書指出，追求利潤的做法破壞了美國新聞界的使命感， “大多數(shù)業(yè)主和發(fā)行商都強行要求編輯人員更多地關(guān)注利潤的高低，而不是關(guān)注新聞的好壞?！?BR> 1. 「B」可參考文章大意，“以金錢所驅(qū)動的民主”為標題。
2. 「C」文中第三段第二句說：據(jù)統(tǒng)計， 美國選民參加總統(tǒng)大選的比率呈下降趨勢， 因此C項錯。選項A，B，D均可在原文中找到。
3. 「B」見第五段第三句
4. 「B」“shun”是“避開， 回避”的意思。
5. 「A」本文提到美國的“金錢政治” 使越來越多的美國民眾失去了參與政治的熱情；根據(jù)對加州三個城市少數(shù)族裔選民的調(diào)查顯示，幾乎所有被調(diào)查者都對金錢能買通政治感到厭倦，亞裔選民認為金錢對政治影響過大，不公平； 黑人和拉丁族裔感到被關(guān)在政治門外， 成為政治的犧牲品。所以作者是持批評態(tài)度的。
Passage 3
人類排放的二氧化碳和別的能產(chǎn)生溫室效應(yīng)的氣體使全球變暖，可能會產(chǎn)生災(zāi)難性后果。
The United Nations team of climate scientists charged with advising governments about the myth or reality of global warming recently concluded that the world is in the grip of a greenhouse effect that is at least partly attributable to mankinds carbon emissions. 負責(zé)向各國政府提出關(guān)于全球正在變暖到底是神話還是事實的聯(lián)合國氣候?qū)＜医M最近作出結(jié)論： 世界目前正處于溫室效應(yīng)的控制下，這至少應(yīng)部分地歸因于人類所排放的碳。
1. 「A」本文通篇在講由于溫室效應(yīng)而導(dǎo)致氣溫上升， 食物污染與氣溫有關(guān)， 作者向人們敲響了溫室效應(yīng)的警鐘， 所以選A.
2. 「A」倒數(shù)第三段中說到：科學(xué)家們主要對美國這個需要在氣候方面與之磋商的最重要的國家感到擔(dān)憂， 因為這個國家正淹沒于工業(yè)界和龐大的商業(yè)界的游說中，所以選A.
3. 「C」文中第二段說：世界目前正處于溫室效應(yīng)的控制下， 這至少應(yīng)部分歸因于人類所排放的碳，而A項認為完全歸因于人類所排放的碳，過于絕對?？茖W(xué)家們不能判定世界氣候會怎樣變化，因此B錯；從第十段第一句可知D錯。C項可從第四段中找到，上升的全球溫度將會對農(nóng)業(yè)、野生動植物以及水資源產(chǎn)生災(zāi)難性的后果。
4. 「B」原句意為“1995年是最熱的一年， 我們預(yù)期熱年情況會越來越多”， 所以應(yīng)選B.
5. 「D」見倒數(shù)第二段的最后一句。
Passage 4
作者用諷刺的語言描述當今社會罪犯的猖狂，提出死刑是惟一威懾犯罪的方法。
1. The professional killer who wouldnt think twice about using his cosh or crowbar to batter some harmless old lady to death in order to rob her of her meager lifesavings must never be given a dose of his own medicine. 一個職業(yè)殺手毫不猶豫地使用他的鐵芯橡皮管或鐵棍，把一個無辜的老嫗活活打死，只是為了搶劫她一生微薄的積蓄。對這樣的人，我們卻不能以其人之道還治其人之身。
2. It gave the coldblooded poisoner something to ponder about while he was shaking up or serving his arsenic cocktail. 它也會使那些冷血投毒者在攪拌和端上摻砒霜的雞尾酒的時候，能思考片刻。
1. 「C」縱觀全文，作者諷刺社會上種種宣揚罪犯的現(xiàn)象，提倡死刑，以示警戒。所以應(yīng)選C.
2. 「D」A項見第二段第一句； B項見第一段最后一句，英國和其他許多國家的刑法中最愚昧的一條就是中止了極刑； C項見第二段第三句； D項未提及。
3. 「A」“cosset”意思為“受寵， 嬌養(yǎng)”。
4. 「C」見第一段最后一句和最后一段第一句，“極刑曾經(jīng)是一種主要的威懾手段”，作者在文中還列舉了它的種種威懾效應(yīng)，可見作者贊同極刑。
5. 「B」可參照第4題的分析講解。