Passage4

Questions16to20arebasedonthefollowingpassage:

Successfulinnovationshavedrivenmanyoldertechnologiestoextinctionandhaveresultedinhigherproductivity,greaterconsumptionofenergy,increaseddemandofrawmaterials,acceleratedflowofmaterialsthroughtheeconomyandincreasedquantitiesofmetalsandothersubstancesinuseeachperson.Thehistoryofindustrialdevelopmentaboundswithexamples.

In1870,horsesandmulesweretheprimesourceofpoweronU.S.farms.Onehorseormulewasrequiredtosupportfourhumanbeingsaratiothatremainedalmostconstantformanydecades.Atthattime,hadanationalcommissionbeenaskedtoforecastthepopulationfor1970,itsanswerprobablywouldhavedependedonwhetheritsconsultantswereofaneconomicortechnologicalturnofmind.Hadtheybeen“economists”,theywouldprobablyhaveprojectedthe1970horsesormulepopulationtobemorethan50million.Hadtheybeen“technologists”,theywouldhaverecognizedthatthepowerofsteamhadalreadybeenharnessedtoindustryandtolearnandoceantransport.Theywouldhaverecognizedfurtherthatitwouldbetheprimesourceofpoweronthefarm.Itwouldhavebeendifficultforthemtoavoidtheconclusionthatthehorseandmulepopulationwoulddeclinerapidly.

16.Accordingtothepassage,whatsuppliedmostofthepoweronU.S.farmsin1870?

A.AnimalsB.HumansC.EnginesD.Water

17.WhichofthefollowingisNOTmentionedbytheauthorasaconsequenceofnewtechnologicaldevelopments?

A.Oldertechnologiesdieaway.

B.ThequalityoflifeisImproved.

C.Overallproductivityincrease.

D.Morerawmaterialsbecomenecessary.

18.Itcanbeinferredfromthepassagethatby1870.

A.technologybegantobemoreeconomical

B.thesteamenginehadbeeninvented

C.theU.S.horsepopulationwasabout10million

D.anationalcommissionwasabout10million

19.Inthesecondparagraph,theauthorsuggeststhat“economists”would.

A.plantheeconomythroughyearlyforecasts

B.failtoconsidertheinfluenceoftechnologicalinnovation

C.valuetheeconomiccontributionoffarmanimals

D.consultthenationalcommissionontheeconomy

20.Whatistheauthor’sattitudetowardchangesbroughtonbytechnologicalinnovations?

A.Heisexcitedaboutthem.

B.Heacceptthemasnatural.

C.Heisdisturbedbythem.

D.Hequestionstheirusefulness.

PartIReadingComprehension

Passage1

Questions1to5arebasedonthefollowingpassage:

InWashingtonD.C.,1600PennsylvaniaAvenueisaveryspecialaddress.ItistheaddressoftheWhiteHouse,thehomeofthepresidentoftheUnitedStates.

OriginallytheWhiteHousewasgrayandwascalledthePresidentialPalace.Itwasbuiltfrom1792to1800.atthistime,thecityofWashingtonitselfwasbeingbuilt;itwastobethenation’snewcapitalcity.GeorgeWashington,thefirstpresident,andPierreCharlesL’Enfant,aFrenchengineer,chosetheplaceforthenewcity.L’Enfantthenplannedtheycity.Thepresident’shomewasanimportantpartoftheplan.

Acontestwasheldtopickadesignforthepresident’shome.AnarchitectnamedJamesHobanwon.Hedesignedalargethree-storyhouseofgraystone.

PresidentWashingtonneverlivedinthePresidentPalace.ThefirstpresidenttolivetherewasJohnAdams,thesecondpresidentoftheUnitedStates,andhiswifeMrs.Adamsdidnotreallylikehewnewhouse.Inherletters,sheoftencomplainedaboutthecold.Fiftyfireplaceswerenotenoughtokeepthehousewarm!

In1812theUnitedStatesandBritainwenttowar.In1814theBritishinvadedWashington.Theuburnedmanybuildings,includingthePresidentialPalace.

AfterthewarJamesHoban,theoriginalarchitect,partiallyrebuiltthepresident’shomes.Tocoverthemarksofthefire,thebuildingwaspaintedwhite.BeforelongitbecameknownastheWhiteHouse.

TheWhiteHouseisoneofthemostpopulartouristattractionsintheUnitedStates.Everyyearmorethan1.5millionvisitorsgothroughthefiveroomsthatareopentothepublic.

1.TheWhiteHousewasbuiltinWashington.

A.becauseaFrenchengineerwasinvitedtodesignit

B.becausePresidentGeorgeWashingtonlikedtoliveinit

C.becausetheBritishinvaderslivedinitin1812-1814

D.becauseitwastobethenation’scapitalcity

2.ThePresidentialPalacewas.

A.paintedgrayandwhiteB.madeofgraystone

C.madeofwhitestoneD.madeverywarminwinter

3.Thepresident’shomeandthecityofWashingtonwere.

A.builtbytheAmericanarmyB.builtbytheBritishtroops

C.plannedbyGeorgeWashingtonD.plannedbytheFrench

4.Theoriginalhomeofthepresidentneededtoberebuilt.

A.becauseJohnAdam’swifedidnotlikeit

B.becauseitwascoldinwinterevenwith50fireplaces

C.becauseithadburneddownduringthewar

D.becauseGeorgeWashingtonwasnotwillingtoliveinit

5.Thenewpresidentialhomewaspaintedwhiteto.

A.coverthemarksoffireB.attracttouristfromFrance

C.topleaseMrs.JohnAdamsD.keepitwarminwinter

PartIVTranslation

Yetcowboyslikedtheirwayoflife.Theylivedinawildandopencountry.Theylivedalifeofadventureandfreedom.(PassageThree)

Passage2

Questions6to10arebasedonthefollowingpassage:

Whenaluminumwasfirstproducedaboutahundredandfiftyyearsago,itwassodifficulttoseparateformtheoresinwhichitwasfoundthatitspricewashigherthanthatofgold.Thepriceremainedhighuntilanewprocesswasdiscoveredforrefiningthemetalwiththeaidofelectricityapproximatelythreequartersofacenturylater.Thenewmethodwassomuchcheaperthataluminumbecausepracticalformanypurposes,oneofwhichwasmakingpotsandpans.

Aluminumislightweight,rustproofandeasilyshapedintodifferentforms.Bymixingitwithothermetals,scientistshavebeenabletoproduceavarietyofalloys,someofwhichhavethestrengthofsteelbutweighonlyonethirdasmuch.

Today,theusesofaluminumareinnumerable.Perhapsitsmostimportantuseisintransportation.Aluminumisfoundintheengineofautomobiles,inthehullsofboats.Itisalsousedinmanypartsofairplanes.Infact,thehuge“airbus”planeswouldprobablyneverhavebeenproducedifaluminumdidnotexist.Bymakingvehicleslighterinweightaluminumhasgreatlyreducedtheamountoffuelneededtomovethem,Aluminumisalsobeingusedextensivelyinthebuildingindustryinsomecountries.

Sincealuminumissuchaversatile(多用的)metal,itisfortunatethatbauxite(铝土矿),whichisoneofitschiefsources,isalsooneoftheearth’smostplentifulsubstances.Asthesourceofaluminumisalmostinexhaustible,wecanexpectthatmoreandmoreuseswillbefoundforthisversatilemetal.

6.Thepriceofaluminumwassharplyreducedwhenpeoplediscoveredanewrefiningprocesswiththeaidof.

A.windB.solarenergyC.hydraulicpowerD.electricity

7.Aluminumis.

A.lightweight,rustproofbutnoteasilyshapedintodifferentforms

B.heavyweight,rustproofandeasilyshapedintodifferentforms

C.lightweight,rustproofandeasilyshapedintodifferentforms

D.lightweightandeasilyshapedintodifferentformsbutitiseasytobecomerusty

8.WhichofthefollowingisNOTtrue?

A.Aluminumiswidelyusedintransportation.

B.Aluminumisalsousedinmanypartsofairplanes.

C.Aluminumisbeingusedextensivelyinthebuildingindustry.

D.Aluminumisnotusedinitspureform.

9.Aluminumisfoundonearthmostlyintheformof.

A.puremetalB.bauxiteC.goldD.liquid

10.Whatisthepassagetalkingabout?

A.Thefeaturesofaluminumanditsfunctions.B.Theprocessofaluminum.

C.Thediscoveryofaluminum.D.Thepromisingfutureofaluminum.

Passage3

Questions11to15arebasedonthefollowingpassage:

Thecowboyistheheroofmanymovies,.Heis,eventoday,asymbolofcourageandadventure.Butwhatwasthelifeofthecowboyreallylike?

Thecowboy’sjobisclearfromthewordcowboy.Cowboyweremenwhotookcareofcowsandothercattle.ThecattlewereintheWestandinTexas.PeopleinthecitiesoftheEastwantedbeefthesecattle.Trainscouldtakethecattleeast.Butfirstthecattlehadtogettothetrains.Partofthecowboy’sjobwastotakethecattlehundredsofmilestotherailroadtown.Thetripswerecalledcattledrivers.Acattledriveusuallytookseveralmonths.Cowboysrodeforsixteenhoursaday.Becausetheyrodesomuch,eachcowboybroughtalongabouteighthorses.Acowboychangedhorsesseveraltimeseachday.

Thecowboyshadtomakesurethatcattlearrivedsafely.Beforestartingonadrive,thecowboysbrandedthecattle.Theyburnedamarkonthecattletoshowwhotheybelongedto.Butthesemarksdidn’tstoprustlers,orcattlethieves.Cowboyshadtoprotectthecattlefromrustlers.Rustlersmadethedangeroustripevenmoredangerous.

Eventhoughtheirworkwasverydifficultanddangerous,cowboysdidnotearnmuchmoney.Theywerepaidbadly.Yetcowboyslikedtheirwayoflife.Theylivedinawildandopencountry.Theylivedalifeofadventureandfreedom.

11.Acowboyisasymbolof.

A.courageandadventureB.ahardlifeandbigpay

C.moviesinthepastD.cowsandothercattle

12.Thecowboys’jobwas.

A.tobeaheroinreallifeB.tobeaheroofthemovie

C.totakecareofcattleD.tobeadangerousrustler

13.Duringacattledriver,cowboystookagroupofcowsfromawildandopencountryto.

A.theWeststatesandTexasB.thecitiesoftheEastStates

C.thepeoplewhoeatbeefincitiesD.therailroadtownshundredmilesaway

14.Ontheirwayofcattledrivers,thecowboysprotectedthecattleby.

A.burningamarkontheircowsB.keepinganeyeoncattlethieves

C.makingthetripmoredangerousD.lookingaftereightcowseachperson

15.Cowboysenjoyedthemselvesbecause.

A.theylikedtheirwayoflifeB.theymadealotofmoney

C.theyhadavarydifficultjobD.theywereheroesinmovies