Whichissafer-stayingathome，travelingtoworkonpublictransport，orworkingintheoffice?Surprisingly，eachofthesecarriesthesamerisk，whichisverylow.However，whataboutflyingcomparedtoworkinginthechemicalindustry?Unfortunately，theformeris65timesriskierthanthelatter!Infact，theaccidentrateofworkersinthechemicalindustryislessthanthatofalmostanyofhumanactivity，andalmostassafeasstayingathome.

Thetroublewiththechemicalindustryisthatwhenthingsgowrongtheyoftencausedeathtothoselivingnearby.Itisthiswhichmakeschemicalaccidentssonewsworthy.Fortunately，theyareextremelyrare.ThemostfamousoneshappenedatTexasCity(1947)，Flixborough(1974)，Seveso(1976)，Pemex(1984)andBhopal(1984)。

Someofthesearealwaysinthemindsofthepeopleeventhoughthelossoflifewassmall.NoonediedatSeveso，andonly28workersatFlixborough.TheworstaccidentofallwasBhopal，whereupto3，000werekilled.TheTexasCityexplosionoffertilizerkilled552.ThePemexfireatastorageplantfornaturalgasinthesuburbsofMexicoCitytook542lives，justamonthbeforetheunfortunateeventatBhopal.

Someexpertshavediscussedtheseaccidentsandusedeachaccidenttoillustrateaparticulardanger.ThustheTexasCityexplosionwascausedbytonsofammoniumnitrate(硝酸铵)，whichissafeunlessstoredingreatquantity.TheFlixboroughfireballwasthefaultofmanagement，whichtookriskstokeepproductiongoingduringessentialrepairs.TheSevesoaccidentshowswhathappensifthelocalauthoritieslackknowledgeofthedangerontheirdoorstep.Whenthepoisonousgasdriftedoverthetown，localleaderswereincapableoftakingeffectiveaction.ThePemexfirewasmadeworsebyanoverloadedsiteinanovercrowdedsuburb.Thefiresetoffachainreactionosexplodingstoragetanks.Yet，byamiracle，thetwolargesttanksdidnotexplode.Hadthesecaughtfire，then3，000strongrescueteamandfirefighterswouldallhavedied.

1.Chemicalaccidentsareusuallyimportantenoughtobereportedasnewsbecause____.

A.theyareveryrare

B.theyoftencauselossoflife

C.theyalwaysoccurinbigcities

D.theyarousetheinterestofallthereaders

2.Whichofthefollowingstatementsistrue?

A.Workingattheofficeissaferthanstayingathome.

B.Traverllingtoworkonpublictransportissaferthanworkingattheoffice.

C.Stayingathomeissaferthanworkinginthechemicalindustry.

D.Workinginthechemicalindustryissaferthantravelingbyair.

3.Accordingtopassage，thechemicalaccidentthatcausedbythefaultofmanagementhappenedat____.

A.TexascityB.FlixboroughC.SevesoD.MexicoCity

4.Fromthediscussionamongsomeexpertswemaycocludethat____.

A.toavoidanyaccidentsweshouldnotrepairthefacilitiesinchemicalindustry

B.thelocalauthoritiesshouldnotbeconcernedwiththeproductionofthechemicalindustry

C.alltheseaccidentscouldhavebeenavoidedorcontrolledifeffectivemeasurehadbeentaken

D.naturalgasstoredinverylargetanksisalwayssafe

5.Fromthepassageweknowthatammoniumnitrateisakindof____.

A.naturalgas，whichcaneasilycatchfire

B.fertilizer，whichcan'tbestoredinagreatquantity

C.poisonoussubstance，whichcan'tbeusedinovercrowdedareas

D.fuel，whichisstoredinlargetanks

Thebesttitleforthepassagewouldbe________.

Whyaretoday'soldermiddle-agedandelderlybecomingthenewwinners?

Passage2

Questions6to10arebasedonthefollowingpassage:

Thefoodweeatseemstohaveprofoundeffectsonourhealth.Althoughsciencehasmadeenormousstepsinmakingfoodmorefittoeat,ithas,atthesametime,mademanyfoodsunfittoeat.Someresearchhasshowntat40percentofcancerisrelatedtothedietaswell,especiallycancerofthecolon.Differentculturesatemorepronetogetcertainillnessesbecauseofthefoodthatischaracteristicinthesecultures.Thatfoodisrelatedtoillnessisnotanewdiscovery.In1945,governmentresearchersrealizedthatnitratesandnitrites,commonlyusedtopreservecolorinmeats,andotherfoodadditives,causedcancer.Yetthesecarcinogenicadditivesremaininourfood,anditbecomesmoredifficultallthetimetoknowwhichthingsonthepackaginglabelsofprocessedfoodarehelpfulorharmful.Theadditivesthatweeatarenotallsodirect.Farmersoftengivepenicillintobeefandpoultry,andbecauseofthis,penicillinhasbeenfoundinthemilkoftreatedcows.Sometimessimilardrugsareadministeredtoanimalsnotformedicinalpurposes,butforfinancialreasons.Thefarmersaresimplytryingtofattentheanimalsinordertoobtainahigherpriceonthemarket.AlthoughtheFoodandDrugAdministration(FDA)hastriedrepeatedlytocontroltheseprocedures,thepracticescontinue.

6.Howhassciencedoneadisservicetomankind?

A.Becauseofscience,mostofthefoodsweeattodayarecontaminated.

B.Ithascausedalackofinformationconcerningthevalueoffood.

C.Asaresultofscientificintervention,somepotentiallyharmfulsubstanceshasbeenaddedtoourfood.

D.Thescientistshavepreservedthecolorofmeats,butnotofvegetables.

7.Whatarenitratesusedfor?

A.Theypreservesflavorinpackagedfoods.

B.Theypreservethecolorofmeats.

C.Theyaretheobjectsofresearch.

D.Theycausetheanimalstobecomefatter.

8.TheFDAhastriedrepeatedlytocontrol.

A.theattempttofattentheanimals

B.theattempttocuresickanimals

C.theusingofdrugstoanimals

D.theusingofadditivestopreservethedoloroffood

9.Theword“carcinogenic”meansmostnearlythesameas.

A.trouble-makingB.color-retaining

C.money-savingD.cancer-causing

10.WhichofthefollowingstatementsisNOTtrue?

A.Drugsarealwaysgiventoanimalsformedicalreasons.

B.Someoftheadditivesinourfoodareaddedtothefooditselfandsomearegiventothelivinganimals.

C.Researchershaveknownaboutthepotentialhazardsofthefoodadditivesforoverthirty-fiveyears.

D.Foodmaycausefortypercentofcancerintheworld.

Questions1to5arebasedonthefollowingpassage:

Someyearsagothecaptainofashipwasveryinterestedinmedicine.Healwaystookmedicinebookstoseaandlikedtotalkaboutdifferentdiseases.

Onedayalazysailoronhisshippretendedtobeill.Helayonhisbunk(铺)andgroanedasifhewereverysick.Thecaptaincametoseehimandwasverypleasedtohaveapatienttolookafter.Hetoldthemantorestforafewdaysandmadetheothersailorsdohiswork.Threedayslateranothersailorpretendedthathehadsomethingwrongwithhischest.Oncemorethecaptainlookedinhismedicalbooksandtold“sick”mantohavearest.

Theothersailorswereveryangrybecausetheyhadmoreworktodo.Thepatientshadthebestfoodandlaughedattheirfriendswhenthecaptainwasnotlooking.Atlastthemate(船长副手)decidedtocurethe“sick”men.Hemixedupsomesoap,soot(烟灰),glue(胶水)andotherunpleasantthings.Thenheobtainedpermissionfromthecaptaintogivehismedicinetothe“sick”men.Whentheytastedthemedicine,theyreallydidfeelill.Itwassohorriblethatoneofthepatientsjumpedoutofhibunk,ranupondeskandclimbedthehighestmastontheship.Hedidnotwantanymoremedicine.

Thematetoldbothofthementhattheymusttakethemedicineeveryhalfanhour,nightandday.Thissooncuredthem.Theybothsaidtheyfeltbetterandwantedtostartwordagain.Thecaptainrealizedthatthementriedtodeceivehimsohemadethemworkveryhardfortherestofthevoyage.

1.Thefirstsailorpretendedtobeillbecausehewantedto.

A.testthecaptain’sknowledgeofmedicine

B.befreefromwork

C.havethebestfoodontheship

D.playajokeonhisfriends

2.Whenthecaptainknewasailorwasill,he.

A.didn’tcaremuch

B.sentforadoctor

C.lookedafterhimandtoldhimtohavearest

D.gavehimsomemedicine

3.Thepatientsfeltbetterquicklybecause.

A.theyhadbeengivenpropermedicine

B.theylearnedthatthecaptainhadfoundoutthetruth

C.theywerelaughedatbytheirfriends

D.themedicinethemategavewashorrible

4.Whenthecaptainknewhehadbeendeceived,he.

A.toldthemnottodosoagain

B.losthistemper

C.madethemworkharder

D.firedthem

5.Whichofthefollowingbestsummarizesthepassage?

A.AsuddenCure.

B.TwoPatients.

C.CaptainandSailors.

D.ADifficultVoyage.