Passage 11
Americans usually consider themselves a friendly people. Their friendships， however， tend to be shorter and more casual than friendships among people from other cultures. It is not uncommon for Americans to have only one close friend during their lifetime， and consider other “friends” to be just social acquaintances. This attitude probably has something to do with American mobility and the fact that Americans do not like to be dependent on other people. They tend to “compartmentalize” （劃分） friendships， having “friends at work”， “friends on the softball team”， “family friends”， etc.
Because the United States is a highly active society， full of movement and change， people always seem to be on the go. In this highly charged atmosphere， Americans can sometimes seem brusque （無禮的） or impatient. They want to get to know you as quickly as possible and then move on to something else. Sometimes， early on， they will ask you questions that you may feel are very personal. No insult is intended； the questions usually grow out of their genuine interest or curiosity， and their impatience to get to the heart of the matter. And the same goes for you. If you do not understand certain American behavior or you want to know more about them， do not hesitate to ask them questions about themselves. Americans are usually eager to explain all about their country or anything “American” in which you may be interested. So much so in fact that you may become tired of listening. It doesn‘t matter because Americans tend to be uncomfortable with silence during a conversation. They would rather talk about the weather or the latest sports scores， for example， than deal with silence.
On the other hand， don‘t expect Americans to be knowledgeable about international geography or world affairs， unless those subjects directly involve the United States. Because the United States is not surrounded by many other nations some Americans tend to ignore the rest of the world.
1. The general topic of the passage is ______.
A. American culture B. American society
C. Americans‘ activities D. Americans’ personality
2. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage？
A. Americans do not like to depend on other people.
B. Friendships among Americans tend to be casual.
C. Americans know a lot about international affairs.
D. Americans always seem to be on the go.
3. The phrase “highly charged” （Paragraph 2） most probably means ______.
A. extremely free B. highly responsible
C. very cheerful D. full of mobility and change
4. It can be inferred from the passage that ______.
A. Americans want to participate in all kinds of activities
B. Americans‘ character is affected by their social and geographical environment
C. Americans do not know how to deal with silence
D. curiosity is characteristic of Americans
5. According to the passage， Americans tend to ignore the rest of the world because ______.
A. they are not interested in other countries
B. they are too proud of themselves
C. their country does not have many neighboring nations
D. they are too busy to learn about other countries
Passage 12
Want a glimpse of the future of health care？ Take a look at the way the various networks of people involved in patient care are being connected to one another， and how this new connectivity is being exploited to deliver medicine to the patient—no matter where he or she may be.
Online doctors offering advice based on standardized symptoms are the most obvious example. Increasingly， however， remote diagnosis （telemedicine） will be based on real physiological data from the actual patient. A group from the University of Kentucky has shown that by using an off-the-shelf （現(xiàn)成的） PDA （personal data assistance） such as a Palm Pilot plus a mobile phone， it is perfectly feasible to transmit a patient‘s vital signs over the telephone. With this kind of equipment in a first-aid kit （急救包）， the cry asking whether there was a doctor in the house could well be a thing of the past.
Other medical technology groups are working on applying telemedicine to rural care. And at least one team wants to use telemedicine as a tool for disaster response—especially after earthquakes. Overall， the trend is towards providing global access to medical data and expertise.
But there is one problem. Bandwidth is the limiting factor for transmitting complex medical images around the world—CT scans being one of the biggest bandwidth consumers. Communications satellites may be able to cope with the short-term needs during disasters such as earthquakes， wars or famines. But medicine is looking towards both the second-generation Internet and third-generation mobile phones for the future of distributed medical intelligence.
Doctors have met to discuss computer-based tools for medical diagnosis， training and telemedicine. With the falling price of broadband communications， the new technologies should usher in（迎來）an era when telemedicine and the sharing of medical information， expert opinion and diagnosis are common.
1. The basis of remote diagnosis will be ______.
A. standardized symptoms of a patient B. personal data assistance
C. transmitted complex medical images D. real physiological data from a patient
2. The sentence “the cry asking whether there was a doctor in the house could well be a thing of the past” means ______.
A. now people probably would not ask if there is a doctor in the house
B. patients used to cry and ask if there was a doctor in the house
C. in the past people often cried and asked if there was a doctor in the house
D. patients are now still asking if there is a doctor in the house
3. All the following statements are true EXCEPT that ______.
A. it is now feasible to transmit a patient‘s vital signs over telephone
B. flood is not among the disasters mentioned in the passage
C. the trend in applying telemedicine is toward providing global access to medical data
D. telemedicine is being used by many medical teams as a tool for disaster response
4. The word “problem” in the fourth paragraph refers to the fact that ______.
A. there are not enough mobile phones for distributing medical intelligence
B. CT scans are one of the biggest bandwidth consumers
C. bandwidth is not adequate to transmit complex medical images around the world
D. communications satellites can only cope with the short-term needs during disasters
5. A proper title for the passage may be ______.
A. Improvement in Communications B. The Online Doctor Is In
C. Application of Telemedicine D. How to Make Remote Diagnosis
Passage 13
Pictures in the British papers this week of Prince William， Prince Charles‘s 18-year-old son， cleaning toilets overseas， have led to a surge of altruism （利他主義）。 Raleigh International， the charity that organized his trip， has seen inquiries about voluntary work abroad rise by 30%. But the image of idealistic youth that William presents no longer reflects the reality of the volunteer force. It’s getting older and older.
Voluntary Service Overseas （VSO） has about 2，000 volunteers in the field around the world. After a dip in interest in the mid-1990s， applications to work abroad are at record levels. Last year 7，645 people submitted applications， and 920 successfully negotiated the VSO selection process and were sent abroad. When the organization was founded in l959， the average volunteer was in his early 20s. Now， the average age is 35， and set to rise further.
Partly， that is because there are more older people who want to do VSO. More people take early retirement； more， says the chief executive of VSO， “still feel that they have more to give and are in good health”。 And the demands of the African and Asian countries where most of the volunteers go are changing， too. Their educational standards have risen over the past couple of decades， so they want people with more qualifications， skills and experience.
BESO （British Executive Service Overseas） recruits executives and businessmen with at least 15 years‘ experience for short-term contract work overseas. It organizes 500 placements （工作安置） a year， and at the moment supply is surpassing demand. A BESO spokesman said that the organization is “l(fā)imited by funding rather than a lack of volunteers”。
Enthusiastic but unqualified students do not impress as much as they once did alongside accountants， managers and doctors. The typical volunteer， these days， has been in full-time employment for at least five years and is highly qualified. And the profession which provides the biggest portion of volunteers is education—headmasters and school inspectors as well as classroom teachers.
1. According to the passage， the volunteers ______.
A. are getting older and older B. are becoming fewer
C. are inexperienced and unqualified D. are mostly students
2. All the statements are true about Prince William EXCEPT that ______.
A. his trip has triggered a surge of altruism
B. his trip was organized by a government institution
C. he presents the image of idealistic youth
D. he is not a representative volunteer in age
3. From the second paragraph we can know that ______.
A. the number of applications to work abroad declined in the mid-1990s
B. the average volunteer now is not much older than forty years ago
C. of those who have submitted applications a majority have been chosen and sent abroad
D. there were more applications to work aboard in the early 1990s than in the late 1990s
4. There are more older people who want to do VSO because ______.
I. more people take early retirement
II. more older people feel they are in good health
III. the foreign countries where the volunteers go want people with more qualifications， skills and experience
A. II only B. I only C. I， II and III D. I and II
5. According to the last paragraph， the typical volunteer now may be ______.
A. an enthusiastic but unqualified young student
B. a highly qualified headmaster or teacher
C. an executive or businessman with at least 15 years‘ experience
D. a well-experienced accountant， manager， or doctor
Passage 14
With only about 1，000 pandas left in the world， China is desperately trying to clone the animal and save the endangered species. That‘s a move similar to what a Texas A&M University researcher has been undertaking for the past five years in a project called “Noah’s Ark”。
Dr. Duane Kraemer， a professor in Texas A&M‘s College of Veterinary Medicine and a pioneer in embryo（胚胎）transfer work and related procedures， said he salutes the Chinese effort and “I wish them all the best success possible. It’s a worthwhile project， certainly not an easy one， and it‘s very much like what we’re attempting here at Texas A&M—to save animals from extinction”。
Noah‘s Ark is aimed at collecting eggs， embryos， semina （精子） and DNA of endangered animals and storing them in liquid nitrogen. If certain species should become extinct， Kraemer says there would be enough of the basic building blocks to reintroduce the species in the future.
It is estimated that as many as 2，000 species of mammals， birds and reptiles will become extinct over the next 100 years. The panda， native only to China， is in danger of becoming extinct in the next 25 years.
This week， Chinese scientists said they grew an embryo by introducing cells from a dead female panda into the egg cells of a Japanese white rabbit. They are now trying to implant the embryo into a host animal.
The entire procedure could take from three to five years to complete.
“The nuclear transfer of one species to another is not easy， and the lack of available panda eggs could be a major problem，” Kraemer believes.
“They will probably have to do several hundred transfers to result in one pregnancy. It takes a long time and it‘s difficult， but this could be groundbreaking science if it works. They are certainly not putting any live pandas at risk， so it is worth the effort，” adds Kraemer， who is one of the leaders of the Missyplicity Project at Texas A&M， the first-ever attempt at cloning a dog.
“They are trying to do something that‘s never been done， and this is very similar to our work in Noah’s Ark. We‘re both trying to save animals that face extinction. I certainly applaud their effort and there’s a lot we can learn from what they are attempting to do. It‘s a research that is very much needed.”
1. The aim of “Noah‘s Ark” Project is to ______.
A. salute the Chinese efforts in saving pandas
B. implant embryo into a host animal
C. introduce cells from a dead female panda into the egg cells of a Japanese white rabbit
D. save endangered animals from extinction
2. How long will the Chinese panda-cloning project take according to the passage？
A. 3 to 5 years. B. 1 year. C. 25 years. D. 2 years.
3. The word “groundbreaking” （Paragraph 8） can be interpreted as ______.
A. pioneering B. essentially new
C. epoch-making D. evolutionary
4. What could be the major problem in cloning pandas according to Professor Kraemer？
A. Lack of host animals. B. Lack of available panda eggs.
C. Lack of funds. D. Lack of qualified researchers.
5. The best title for the passage may be ______.
A. China‘s Efforts to Clone Pandas B. China—the Native Place of Pandas Forever
C. Exploring the Possibility to Clone Pandas D. China‘s First Cloned Panda
Passage 15
If there is one thing scientists have to hear， it is that the game is over. Raised on the belief of an endless voyage of discovery， they recoil （畏縮） from the suggestion that most of the best things have already been located. If they have， today‘s scientists can hope to contribute no more than a few grace notes to the symphony of science.
A book to be published in Britain this week， The End of Science， argues persuasively that this is the case. Its author， John Horgan， is a senior writer for Scientific American magazine， who has interviewed many of today‘s leading scientists and science philosophers. The shock of realizing that science might be over came to him， he says， when he was talking to Oxford mathematician and physicist Sir Roger Penrose.
The End of Science provoked a wave of denunciation （譴責(zé)） in the United States last year. “The reaction has been one of complete shock and disbelief，” Mr. Horgan says.
The real question is whether any remaining unsolved problems， of which there are plenty， lend themselves to universal solutions. If they do not， then the focus of scientific discovery is already narrowing. Since the triumphs of the 1960s—the genetic code， plate tectonics （板塊構(gòu)造說）， and the microwave background radiation that went a long way towards proving the Big Bang—genuine scientific revolutions have been scarce. More scientists are now alive， spending more money on research， than ever. Yet most of the great discoveries of the 19th and 20th centuries were made before the appearance of state sponsorship， when the scientific enterprise was a fraction of its present size.
Were the scientists who made these discoveries brighter than today‘s？ That seems unlikely. A far more reasonable explanation is that fundamental science has already entered a period of diminished returns. “Look， don’t get me wrong，” says Mr. Horgan. “There are lots of important things still to study， and applied science and engineering can go on for ever. I hope we get a cure for cancer， and for mental disease， though there are few real signs of progress.”
1. The sentence “most of the best things have already been located” could mean ______.
A. most of the best things have already been changed
B. most of the best things remain to be changed
C. there have never been so many best things waiting to be discovered
D. most secrets of the world have already been discovered
2. John Horgan ______.
I. has published a book entitled The End of Science
II. has been working as an editor of Scientific American
III. has been working many years as a literary critic
IV. is working as a science writer
A. I and II B. I only
C. I and IV D. I， II and IV
3. There have not been many genuine scientific revolutions in the past few decades because ______.
A. there have been decreased returns in the research of fundamental science
B. there are too many important things for scientists to study
C. applied science and engineering take up too much time and energy
D. today‘s scientists are not as intelligent as those in the past
4. The term “the Big Bang” probably refers to ______.
A. the genetic code theory B. a geological theory
C. a theory of the origin of the universe D. the origin and the power of atomic energy
5. The best title of this passage can be ______.
A. Great Scientific Discoveries Will Never Be Possible
B. The Harsh Challenge Has to Be Met by Modern Scientists
C. The State Sponsorship and Scientific Enterprise Are All in Vain
D. The Chance for Great Scientific Discoveries Becomes Scarce
Passage 16
Astronaut Jim Voss has enjoyed many memorable moments in his career， including three space flights and one space walk. But he recalls with special fondness a decidedly earthbound （為地球引力所束縛的） experience in the summer of 1980， when he participated in the NASA-ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program. Voss， then a science teacher at West Point， was assigned to the Marshall Space Flight Center‘s propulsion （推進(jìn)） lab in Alabama to analyze why a hydraulic fuel pump seal on the space shuttle was working so well when previous seals had failed. It was a seemingly tiny problem among the vast complexities of running the space program. Yet it was important to NASA because any crack in the seal could have led to destructive results for the astronauts who relied on them.
“I worked a bit with NASA engineers，” says Voss， “but I did it mostly by analysis. I used a handheld calculator， not a computer， to do a thermodynamic （熱力學(xué)的） analysis.” At the end of the summer， he， like the other NASA-ASEE fellows working at Marshall， summarized his findings in a formal presentation and detailed paper. It was a valuable moment for Voss because the ASEE program gave him added understanding of NASA， deepened his desire to fly in space， and intensified his application for astronaut status.
It was not an easy process. Voss was actually passed over when he first applied for the astronaut program in 1978. Over the next nine years he reapplied repeatedly， and was finally accepted in 1987. Since then he has participated in three space missions. The 50-year-old Army officer， who lives in Houston， is now in training for a four-month mission as a crew member on the International Space Station starting in July 2000.
Voss says the ASEE program is wonderful for all involved. “It brings in people from the academic world and gives NASA a special property for a particular period of time. It brings some fresh eyes and fresh ideas to NASA， and establishes a link with our colleges and universities，” Voss explains. “There‘s an exchange of information and an exchange of perspectives that is very important.”
For the academic side， Voss says， the ASEE program also “brings institutions of higher learning more insight into new technology. We give them an opportunity to work on real-world problems and take it back to the classroom.”
1. Why was the hydraulic fuel pump seal important for the space shuttle？
A. Because previous seals all failed.
B. Because it was very complex in running the space program.
C. Because great care has to be taken of the hydraulic fuel pump sealing.
D. Because any crack in the seals would cause disastrous results for the astronauts.
2. The great significance of Voss‘s findings lies in ______.
I. strengthening his determination to join in space flights
II. furthering his understanding of NASA
III. consolidating his astronaut status in NASA programs
A. I only B. II only
C. I， II and III all included D. I and II only
3. How many flights will Voss have finished if his four-month mission starting in July 2000 ends up successfully？
A. Three. B. Two. C. Four. D. Five.
4. Which of the following is NOT true according to what Voss said on the ASEE program？
A. Fresh members from the academic world participate in the program.
B. The program brings new outlooks to NASA space programs.
C. It is important for the space scientists to exchange information and perspectives.
D. American colleges and universities are special property of NASA.
5. What does Voss want to stress in the last paragraph？
A. The technological significance of the program.
B. The educational significance of the program.
C. The philosophical significance of the program.
D. The historical significance of the program.
Passage 17
The current emergency in Mexico City that has taken over our lives is nothing. I could ever have imagined for me or my children. We are living in an environmental crisis， an air-pollution emergency of unprecedented severity. What it really means is that just to breathe here is to play a dangerous game with your health.
As parents， what terrorizes us most are reports that children are at higher risk because they breathe more times per minute. What more can we do to protect them and ourselves？ Our pediatrician‘s （兒科醫(yī)師的） medical recommendation was simple： abandon the city permanently. We are foreigners and we are among the small minority that can afford to leave. We are here because of my husband’s work. We are fascinated by Mexico—its history and rich culture. We know that for us， this is a temporary danger. However， we cannot stand for much longer the fear we feel for our boys. We cannot stop them from breathing.
But for millions， there is no choice. Their lives， their jobs， their futures depend on being here. Thousands of Mexicans arrive each day in this city， desperate for economic opportunities. Thousands more are born here each day. Entire families work in the streets and practically live there. It is a familiar sight： as parents hawk goods at stoplights， their children play in the grassy highway dividers， breathing exhaust fumes. I feel guilty complaining about my personal situation； we won‘t be here long enough for our children to form the impression that skies are colored only gray.
And yet the government cannot do what it must to end this problem. For any country， especially a developing Third World economy like Mexico， the idea of barring from the capital city enough cars， closing enough factories and spending the necessary billions on public transportation is simply not an option. So when things get bad， as in the current emergency， Mexico takes half measures—prohibiting some more cars from circulating， stopping some factories from producing—that even its own officials concede aren‘t adequate.
The word “emergency” implies the unusual. But when daily life itself is an emergency， the concept loses its meaning. It is human nature to try to adapt to that which we cannot change or to mislead ourselves into believing we can adapt.
1. According to the passage， the current emergency in Mexico City refers to ______.
A. serious air pollution B. economic crisis
C. unemployment D. natural disaster
2. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage？
A. Kids are in greater danger than grown-ups in Mexico City.
B. The author is not a native Mexican.
C. The author‘s husband is a pediatrician.
D. The Mexican history and culture appeal to the author.
3. The word “hawk” （Paragraph 3） most probably means ______.
A. sell B. transport C. place D. deliver
4. The Mexican government takes half measures to solve the pollution problem because ______.
A. Mexican economy depends very much on cars and factories
B. it is not wise enough to come up with effective measures
C. Mexicans are able to adapt themselves to the current emergency
D. Mexicans enjoy playing dangerous games with their health
5. The purpose of the passage is to ______.
A. describe the harmful air pollution B. explain the way to prevent air pollution
C. show the worries about the air pollution D. recommend a method to avoid air pollution
Passage 18
In 1998 consumers could purchase virtually anything over the Internet. Books， compact discs， and even stocks were available from World Wide Web sites that seemed to spring up almost daily. A few years earlier， some people had predicted that consumers accustomed to shopping in stores would be reluctant to buy things that they could not see or touch in person. For a growing number of time-starved consumers， however， shopping from their home computer was proved to be a convenient alternative to driving to the store.
A research estimated that in 1998 US consumers would purchase $ 7.3 billion of goods over the Internet， double the 1997 total. Finding a bargain was getting easier owing to the rise of online auctions and Web sites that did comparison shopping on the Internet for the best deal.
For all the consumer interest， retailing in cyberspace was still a largely unprofitable business， however. Internet pioneer Amazon. com， which began selling books in 1995 and later branched into recorded music and videos， posted revenue of $ 153.7 million in the third quarter， up from $ 37.9 million in the same period of 1997. Overall， however， the company‘s loss widened to $ 45.2 million from $ 9.6 million， and analysis did not expect the company to turn a profit until 2001. Despite the great loss， Amazon. com had a stock market value of many billions， reflecting investors’ optimism about the future of the industry
Internet retailing appealed to investors because it provided an efficient means for reaching millions of consumers without having the cost of operating conventional stores with their armies of salespeople. Selling online carried its own risks， however. With so many companies competing for consumers‘ attention， price competition was intense and profit margins thin or nonexistent. One video retailer sold the hit movie Titanic for $9.99， undercutting （削價(jià)） the $ 19.99 suggested retail price and losing about $ 6 on each copy sold. With Internet retailing still in its initial stage， companies seemed willing to absorb such losses in an attempt to establish a dominant market position.
1. Which of the following is TRUE according to the writer？
A. Consumers are reluctant to buy things on the Internet.
B. Consumers are too busy to buy things on the Internet.
C. Internet retailing is a profitable business.
D. More and more consumers prefer Internet shopping.
2. Finding a bargain on the Internet was getting easier partly because ______.
A. there were more and more Internet users
B. there were more and more online auctions
C. the consumers had more money to spend
D. there were more goods available on the Internet
3. “For all the consumer interest” （Paragraph 3） means ______.
A. to the interest of all the consumers
B. for the interest of all the consumers
C. though the consumers are very much interested
D. all the consumers are much interested
4. It can be inferred from the passage that Amazon. com ______.
A. will probably make a profit in 2001 B. is making a profit now
C. is a company that sells books only D. suffers a great loss on the stock market
5. Investors are interested in Internet retailing because ______.
A. selling online involves little risk B. Internet retailing is in its initial stage
C. it can easily reach millions of consumers D. they can make huge profits from it
Passage 19
It is all very well to blame traffic jams， the cost of petrol and the quick pace of modern life， but manners on the roads are becoming horrible. You might tolerate the rude and inconsiderate driver， but nowadays the well-mannered motorist is the exception to the rule. Perhaps the situation calls for a “Be Kind to Other Drivers” campaign， otherwise， it may get completely out of hand.
Road politeness is not only good manners， but good sense too. It takes the most cool-headed and good-tempered of drivers to resist the temptation to revenge when subjected to uncivilized behaviors. On the other hand， a little politeness goes a long way towards relieving the tensions of motoring. A friendly nod or a wave of acknowledgement in response to an act of politeness helps to create an atmosphere of goodwill and tolerance so necessary in modern traffic conditions. But such acknowledgements of politeness are all too rare today. Many drivers nowadays don‘t even seem able to recognize politeness when they see it.
However， improper politeness can also be dangerous. A typical example is the driver who waves a child across a crossing into the path of oncoming vehicles that may be unable to stop in time. The same goes for encouraging old ladies to cross the road wherever and whenever they care to.
A veteran driver， whose manners are faultless， told me it would help if motorists learn to filter correctly into traffic streams one at a time without causing the total blockages （堵塞） that give rise to bad temper. Unfortunately， modern motorists can‘t even learn to drive， let alone be well-mannered on the road. Years ago the experts warned us that the car-ownership explosion would demand a lot more give-and-take from all road users. It is high time for all of us to take this message to heart.
1. According to this passage， troubles on the road are primarily caused by ______.
A. people‘s attitude towards drivers B. the rhythm of modern life
C. traffic conditions D. the behavior of the driver
2. The sentence “You might tolerate the rude and inconsiderate driver， but nowadays the well-mannered motorist is the exception to the rule” implies that ______.
A. our society is unjust towards well-mannered motorists
B. rude drivers can be met only occasionally
C. nowadays impolite drivers constitute the majority of motorists
D. the well-mannered motorist cannot tolerate the rude driver
3. By “good sense” （Paragraph 2）， the writer means ______.
A. the driver‘s prompt response to difficult conditions
B. the driver‘s ability to understand and react reasonably
C. the driver‘s tolerance of bad road conditions
D. the driver‘s acknowledgement of politeness and regulations
4. Experts have long pointed out that in the face of car-ownership explosion， ______.
A. drivers should be ready to yield to one another
B. road users should make more sacrifices
C. drivers should have more communication among themselves
D. drivers will suffer a great loss if they pay no respect to others
5. In the writer‘s opinion， ______.
A. drivers should apply road politeness properly
B. strict traffic regulations are badly needed
C. rude and inconsiderate drivers should be punished
D. drivers should try their best to avoid traffic jams
Passage 20
The most noticeable trend among today‘s media companies is vertical integration—an attempt to control several related aspects of the media business at once， each part helping the other. Besides publishing magazines and books， Time Warner， for example， owns Home Box Office （HBO）， Warner movie studios， various cable TV systems throughout the United States and CNN as well. The Japanese company Matsushita owns MCA Records and Universal Studios and manufactures broadcast production equipment.
To describe the financial status of today‘s media is also to talk about acquisitions. The media are buying and selling each other in unprecedented numbers and forming media groups to position themselves in the marketplace to maintain and increase their profits. In 1986， the first time a broadcast network had been sold， two networks were sold that year—ABC and NBC.
Media acquisitions have skyrocketed since 1980 for two reasons. The first is that most big corporations today are publicly traded companies， which means that their stock is traded on one of the nation‘s stock exchanges. This makes acquisitions relatively easy.
A media company that wants to buy a publicly owned company can buy that company‘s stock when the stock becomes available. The open availability of stock in these companies means that anybody with enough money can invest in the American media industries， which is exactly how Rupert Murdoch joined the media business.
The second reason for the increase in media alliances is that beginning in 1980， the Federal Communications Commission （FCC） gradually deregulated the broadcast media. Before 1980， for example， the FCC allowed one company to own only five TV stations， five AM radio stations， and five FM radio stations； companies also were required to hold onto a station for three years before the station could be sold. The post-1980 FCC eliminated the three-year rule and raised the number of broadcast holdings allowed for one owner. This trend of media acquisitions is continuing throughout the 1990s， as changing technology expands the market for media products.
The issue of media ownership is important. If only a few corporations direct the media industries in this country， the outlets for differing political viewpoints and innovative ideas could be limited.
1. What do Time Warner and Matsushita have in common？
A. They both belong to Rupert Murdoch.
B. They are both big American media corporations.
C. They are both outlets of differing viewpoints and innovative ideas.
D. They both own several different but related media businesses.
2. Which of the following is TRUE of the media？
A. They used to sell and buy each other in great numbers.
B. They are trading each other in greater numbers today.
C. They used to be controlled by two networks—ABC and NBC.
D. They have stopped the trend of acquisitions in the 1990s.
3. According to the passage， what makes acquisitions easier？
A. The changing technology employed by the media.
B. The media‘s increasing profits in the marketplace.
C. The even tougher regulations of the FCC on the media since 1980.
D. The availability of the media‘s stocks on stock exchanges.
4. What is the FCC‘s new policy regarding media alliances？
A. It allows companies to sell their stocks publicly.
B. It doesn‘t allow companies to sell their stocks publicly.
C. It permits one company to own more media businesses at the same time.
D. It has eliminated all post-1980 companies.
5. The issue of media ownership is important because ______.
A. it affects the amount of money the stockholders will make
B. it decides whether we can have different aspects of the media
C. it concerns the channels through which to express opinions
D. it means that more and more people will hold onto only a few stations
Americans usually consider themselves a friendly people. Their friendships， however， tend to be shorter and more casual than friendships among people from other cultures. It is not uncommon for Americans to have only one close friend during their lifetime， and consider other “friends” to be just social acquaintances. This attitude probably has something to do with American mobility and the fact that Americans do not like to be dependent on other people. They tend to “compartmentalize” （劃分） friendships， having “friends at work”， “friends on the softball team”， “family friends”， etc.
Because the United States is a highly active society， full of movement and change， people always seem to be on the go. In this highly charged atmosphere， Americans can sometimes seem brusque （無禮的） or impatient. They want to get to know you as quickly as possible and then move on to something else. Sometimes， early on， they will ask you questions that you may feel are very personal. No insult is intended； the questions usually grow out of their genuine interest or curiosity， and their impatience to get to the heart of the matter. And the same goes for you. If you do not understand certain American behavior or you want to know more about them， do not hesitate to ask them questions about themselves. Americans are usually eager to explain all about their country or anything “American” in which you may be interested. So much so in fact that you may become tired of listening. It doesn‘t matter because Americans tend to be uncomfortable with silence during a conversation. They would rather talk about the weather or the latest sports scores， for example， than deal with silence.
On the other hand， don‘t expect Americans to be knowledgeable about international geography or world affairs， unless those subjects directly involve the United States. Because the United States is not surrounded by many other nations some Americans tend to ignore the rest of the world.
1. The general topic of the passage is ______.
A. American culture B. American society
C. Americans‘ activities D. Americans’ personality
2. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage？
A. Americans do not like to depend on other people.
B. Friendships among Americans tend to be casual.
C. Americans know a lot about international affairs.
D. Americans always seem to be on the go.
3. The phrase “highly charged” （Paragraph 2） most probably means ______.
A. extremely free B. highly responsible
C. very cheerful D. full of mobility and change
4. It can be inferred from the passage that ______.
A. Americans want to participate in all kinds of activities
B. Americans‘ character is affected by their social and geographical environment
C. Americans do not know how to deal with silence
D. curiosity is characteristic of Americans
5. According to the passage， Americans tend to ignore the rest of the world because ______.
A. they are not interested in other countries
B. they are too proud of themselves
C. their country does not have many neighboring nations
D. they are too busy to learn about other countries
Passage 12
Want a glimpse of the future of health care？ Take a look at the way the various networks of people involved in patient care are being connected to one another， and how this new connectivity is being exploited to deliver medicine to the patient—no matter where he or she may be.
Online doctors offering advice based on standardized symptoms are the most obvious example. Increasingly， however， remote diagnosis （telemedicine） will be based on real physiological data from the actual patient. A group from the University of Kentucky has shown that by using an off-the-shelf （現(xiàn)成的） PDA （personal data assistance） such as a Palm Pilot plus a mobile phone， it is perfectly feasible to transmit a patient‘s vital signs over the telephone. With this kind of equipment in a first-aid kit （急救包）， the cry asking whether there was a doctor in the house could well be a thing of the past.
Other medical technology groups are working on applying telemedicine to rural care. And at least one team wants to use telemedicine as a tool for disaster response—especially after earthquakes. Overall， the trend is towards providing global access to medical data and expertise.
But there is one problem. Bandwidth is the limiting factor for transmitting complex medical images around the world—CT scans being one of the biggest bandwidth consumers. Communications satellites may be able to cope with the short-term needs during disasters such as earthquakes， wars or famines. But medicine is looking towards both the second-generation Internet and third-generation mobile phones for the future of distributed medical intelligence.
Doctors have met to discuss computer-based tools for medical diagnosis， training and telemedicine. With the falling price of broadband communications， the new technologies should usher in（迎來）an era when telemedicine and the sharing of medical information， expert opinion and diagnosis are common.
1. The basis of remote diagnosis will be ______.
A. standardized symptoms of a patient B. personal data assistance
C. transmitted complex medical images D. real physiological data from a patient
2. The sentence “the cry asking whether there was a doctor in the house could well be a thing of the past” means ______.
A. now people probably would not ask if there is a doctor in the house
B. patients used to cry and ask if there was a doctor in the house
C. in the past people often cried and asked if there was a doctor in the house
D. patients are now still asking if there is a doctor in the house
3. All the following statements are true EXCEPT that ______.
A. it is now feasible to transmit a patient‘s vital signs over telephone
B. flood is not among the disasters mentioned in the passage
C. the trend in applying telemedicine is toward providing global access to medical data
D. telemedicine is being used by many medical teams as a tool for disaster response
4. The word “problem” in the fourth paragraph refers to the fact that ______.
A. there are not enough mobile phones for distributing medical intelligence
B. CT scans are one of the biggest bandwidth consumers
C. bandwidth is not adequate to transmit complex medical images around the world
D. communications satellites can only cope with the short-term needs during disasters
5. A proper title for the passage may be ______.
A. Improvement in Communications B. The Online Doctor Is In
C. Application of Telemedicine D. How to Make Remote Diagnosis
Passage 13
Pictures in the British papers this week of Prince William， Prince Charles‘s 18-year-old son， cleaning toilets overseas， have led to a surge of altruism （利他主義）。 Raleigh International， the charity that organized his trip， has seen inquiries about voluntary work abroad rise by 30%. But the image of idealistic youth that William presents no longer reflects the reality of the volunteer force. It’s getting older and older.
Voluntary Service Overseas （VSO） has about 2，000 volunteers in the field around the world. After a dip in interest in the mid-1990s， applications to work abroad are at record levels. Last year 7，645 people submitted applications， and 920 successfully negotiated the VSO selection process and were sent abroad. When the organization was founded in l959， the average volunteer was in his early 20s. Now， the average age is 35， and set to rise further.
Partly， that is because there are more older people who want to do VSO. More people take early retirement； more， says the chief executive of VSO， “still feel that they have more to give and are in good health”。 And the demands of the African and Asian countries where most of the volunteers go are changing， too. Their educational standards have risen over the past couple of decades， so they want people with more qualifications， skills and experience.
BESO （British Executive Service Overseas） recruits executives and businessmen with at least 15 years‘ experience for short-term contract work overseas. It organizes 500 placements （工作安置） a year， and at the moment supply is surpassing demand. A BESO spokesman said that the organization is “l(fā)imited by funding rather than a lack of volunteers”。
Enthusiastic but unqualified students do not impress as much as they once did alongside accountants， managers and doctors. The typical volunteer， these days， has been in full-time employment for at least five years and is highly qualified. And the profession which provides the biggest portion of volunteers is education—headmasters and school inspectors as well as classroom teachers.
1. According to the passage， the volunteers ______.
A. are getting older and older B. are becoming fewer
C. are inexperienced and unqualified D. are mostly students
2. All the statements are true about Prince William EXCEPT that ______.
A. his trip has triggered a surge of altruism
B. his trip was organized by a government institution
C. he presents the image of idealistic youth
D. he is not a representative volunteer in age
3. From the second paragraph we can know that ______.
A. the number of applications to work abroad declined in the mid-1990s
B. the average volunteer now is not much older than forty years ago
C. of those who have submitted applications a majority have been chosen and sent abroad
D. there were more applications to work aboard in the early 1990s than in the late 1990s
4. There are more older people who want to do VSO because ______.
I. more people take early retirement
II. more older people feel they are in good health
III. the foreign countries where the volunteers go want people with more qualifications， skills and experience
A. II only B. I only C. I， II and III D. I and II
5. According to the last paragraph， the typical volunteer now may be ______.
A. an enthusiastic but unqualified young student
B. a highly qualified headmaster or teacher
C. an executive or businessman with at least 15 years‘ experience
D. a well-experienced accountant， manager， or doctor
Passage 14
With only about 1，000 pandas left in the world， China is desperately trying to clone the animal and save the endangered species. That‘s a move similar to what a Texas A&M University researcher has been undertaking for the past five years in a project called “Noah’s Ark”。
Dr. Duane Kraemer， a professor in Texas A&M‘s College of Veterinary Medicine and a pioneer in embryo（胚胎）transfer work and related procedures， said he salutes the Chinese effort and “I wish them all the best success possible. It’s a worthwhile project， certainly not an easy one， and it‘s very much like what we’re attempting here at Texas A&M—to save animals from extinction”。
Noah‘s Ark is aimed at collecting eggs， embryos， semina （精子） and DNA of endangered animals and storing them in liquid nitrogen. If certain species should become extinct， Kraemer says there would be enough of the basic building blocks to reintroduce the species in the future.
It is estimated that as many as 2，000 species of mammals， birds and reptiles will become extinct over the next 100 years. The panda， native only to China， is in danger of becoming extinct in the next 25 years.
This week， Chinese scientists said they grew an embryo by introducing cells from a dead female panda into the egg cells of a Japanese white rabbit. They are now trying to implant the embryo into a host animal.
The entire procedure could take from three to five years to complete.
“The nuclear transfer of one species to another is not easy， and the lack of available panda eggs could be a major problem，” Kraemer believes.
“They will probably have to do several hundred transfers to result in one pregnancy. It takes a long time and it‘s difficult， but this could be groundbreaking science if it works. They are certainly not putting any live pandas at risk， so it is worth the effort，” adds Kraemer， who is one of the leaders of the Missyplicity Project at Texas A&M， the first-ever attempt at cloning a dog.
“They are trying to do something that‘s never been done， and this is very similar to our work in Noah’s Ark. We‘re both trying to save animals that face extinction. I certainly applaud their effort and there’s a lot we can learn from what they are attempting to do. It‘s a research that is very much needed.”
1. The aim of “Noah‘s Ark” Project is to ______.
A. salute the Chinese efforts in saving pandas
B. implant embryo into a host animal
C. introduce cells from a dead female panda into the egg cells of a Japanese white rabbit
D. save endangered animals from extinction
2. How long will the Chinese panda-cloning project take according to the passage？
A. 3 to 5 years. B. 1 year. C. 25 years. D. 2 years.
3. The word “groundbreaking” （Paragraph 8） can be interpreted as ______.
A. pioneering B. essentially new
C. epoch-making D. evolutionary
4. What could be the major problem in cloning pandas according to Professor Kraemer？
A. Lack of host animals. B. Lack of available panda eggs.
C. Lack of funds. D. Lack of qualified researchers.
5. The best title for the passage may be ______.
A. China‘s Efforts to Clone Pandas B. China—the Native Place of Pandas Forever
C. Exploring the Possibility to Clone Pandas D. China‘s First Cloned Panda
Passage 15
If there is one thing scientists have to hear， it is that the game is over. Raised on the belief of an endless voyage of discovery， they recoil （畏縮） from the suggestion that most of the best things have already been located. If they have， today‘s scientists can hope to contribute no more than a few grace notes to the symphony of science.
A book to be published in Britain this week， The End of Science， argues persuasively that this is the case. Its author， John Horgan， is a senior writer for Scientific American magazine， who has interviewed many of today‘s leading scientists and science philosophers. The shock of realizing that science might be over came to him， he says， when he was talking to Oxford mathematician and physicist Sir Roger Penrose.
The End of Science provoked a wave of denunciation （譴責(zé)） in the United States last year. “The reaction has been one of complete shock and disbelief，” Mr. Horgan says.
The real question is whether any remaining unsolved problems， of which there are plenty， lend themselves to universal solutions. If they do not， then the focus of scientific discovery is already narrowing. Since the triumphs of the 1960s—the genetic code， plate tectonics （板塊構(gòu)造說）， and the microwave background radiation that went a long way towards proving the Big Bang—genuine scientific revolutions have been scarce. More scientists are now alive， spending more money on research， than ever. Yet most of the great discoveries of the 19th and 20th centuries were made before the appearance of state sponsorship， when the scientific enterprise was a fraction of its present size.
Were the scientists who made these discoveries brighter than today‘s？ That seems unlikely. A far more reasonable explanation is that fundamental science has already entered a period of diminished returns. “Look， don’t get me wrong，” says Mr. Horgan. “There are lots of important things still to study， and applied science and engineering can go on for ever. I hope we get a cure for cancer， and for mental disease， though there are few real signs of progress.”
1. The sentence “most of the best things have already been located” could mean ______.
A. most of the best things have already been changed
B. most of the best things remain to be changed
C. there have never been so many best things waiting to be discovered
D. most secrets of the world have already been discovered
2. John Horgan ______.
I. has published a book entitled The End of Science
II. has been working as an editor of Scientific American
III. has been working many years as a literary critic
IV. is working as a science writer
A. I and II B. I only
C. I and IV D. I， II and IV
3. There have not been many genuine scientific revolutions in the past few decades because ______.
A. there have been decreased returns in the research of fundamental science
B. there are too many important things for scientists to study
C. applied science and engineering take up too much time and energy
D. today‘s scientists are not as intelligent as those in the past
4. The term “the Big Bang” probably refers to ______.
A. the genetic code theory B. a geological theory
C. a theory of the origin of the universe D. the origin and the power of atomic energy
5. The best title of this passage can be ______.
A. Great Scientific Discoveries Will Never Be Possible
B. The Harsh Challenge Has to Be Met by Modern Scientists
C. The State Sponsorship and Scientific Enterprise Are All in Vain
D. The Chance for Great Scientific Discoveries Becomes Scarce
Passage 16
Astronaut Jim Voss has enjoyed many memorable moments in his career， including three space flights and one space walk. But he recalls with special fondness a decidedly earthbound （為地球引力所束縛的） experience in the summer of 1980， when he participated in the NASA-ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program. Voss， then a science teacher at West Point， was assigned to the Marshall Space Flight Center‘s propulsion （推進(jìn)） lab in Alabama to analyze why a hydraulic fuel pump seal on the space shuttle was working so well when previous seals had failed. It was a seemingly tiny problem among the vast complexities of running the space program. Yet it was important to NASA because any crack in the seal could have led to destructive results for the astronauts who relied on them.
“I worked a bit with NASA engineers，” says Voss， “but I did it mostly by analysis. I used a handheld calculator， not a computer， to do a thermodynamic （熱力學(xué)的） analysis.” At the end of the summer， he， like the other NASA-ASEE fellows working at Marshall， summarized his findings in a formal presentation and detailed paper. It was a valuable moment for Voss because the ASEE program gave him added understanding of NASA， deepened his desire to fly in space， and intensified his application for astronaut status.
It was not an easy process. Voss was actually passed over when he first applied for the astronaut program in 1978. Over the next nine years he reapplied repeatedly， and was finally accepted in 1987. Since then he has participated in three space missions. The 50-year-old Army officer， who lives in Houston， is now in training for a four-month mission as a crew member on the International Space Station starting in July 2000.
Voss says the ASEE program is wonderful for all involved. “It brings in people from the academic world and gives NASA a special property for a particular period of time. It brings some fresh eyes and fresh ideas to NASA， and establishes a link with our colleges and universities，” Voss explains. “There‘s an exchange of information and an exchange of perspectives that is very important.”
For the academic side， Voss says， the ASEE program also “brings institutions of higher learning more insight into new technology. We give them an opportunity to work on real-world problems and take it back to the classroom.”
1. Why was the hydraulic fuel pump seal important for the space shuttle？
A. Because previous seals all failed.
B. Because it was very complex in running the space program.
C. Because great care has to be taken of the hydraulic fuel pump sealing.
D. Because any crack in the seals would cause disastrous results for the astronauts.
2. The great significance of Voss‘s findings lies in ______.
I. strengthening his determination to join in space flights
II. furthering his understanding of NASA
III. consolidating his astronaut status in NASA programs
A. I only B. II only
C. I， II and III all included D. I and II only
3. How many flights will Voss have finished if his four-month mission starting in July 2000 ends up successfully？
A. Three. B. Two. C. Four. D. Five.
4. Which of the following is NOT true according to what Voss said on the ASEE program？
A. Fresh members from the academic world participate in the program.
B. The program brings new outlooks to NASA space programs.
C. It is important for the space scientists to exchange information and perspectives.
D. American colleges and universities are special property of NASA.
5. What does Voss want to stress in the last paragraph？
A. The technological significance of the program.
B. The educational significance of the program.
C. The philosophical significance of the program.
D. The historical significance of the program.
Passage 17
The current emergency in Mexico City that has taken over our lives is nothing. I could ever have imagined for me or my children. We are living in an environmental crisis， an air-pollution emergency of unprecedented severity. What it really means is that just to breathe here is to play a dangerous game with your health.
As parents， what terrorizes us most are reports that children are at higher risk because they breathe more times per minute. What more can we do to protect them and ourselves？ Our pediatrician‘s （兒科醫(yī)師的） medical recommendation was simple： abandon the city permanently. We are foreigners and we are among the small minority that can afford to leave. We are here because of my husband’s work. We are fascinated by Mexico—its history and rich culture. We know that for us， this is a temporary danger. However， we cannot stand for much longer the fear we feel for our boys. We cannot stop them from breathing.
But for millions， there is no choice. Their lives， their jobs， their futures depend on being here. Thousands of Mexicans arrive each day in this city， desperate for economic opportunities. Thousands more are born here each day. Entire families work in the streets and practically live there. It is a familiar sight： as parents hawk goods at stoplights， their children play in the grassy highway dividers， breathing exhaust fumes. I feel guilty complaining about my personal situation； we won‘t be here long enough for our children to form the impression that skies are colored only gray.
And yet the government cannot do what it must to end this problem. For any country， especially a developing Third World economy like Mexico， the idea of barring from the capital city enough cars， closing enough factories and spending the necessary billions on public transportation is simply not an option. So when things get bad， as in the current emergency， Mexico takes half measures—prohibiting some more cars from circulating， stopping some factories from producing—that even its own officials concede aren‘t adequate.
The word “emergency” implies the unusual. But when daily life itself is an emergency， the concept loses its meaning. It is human nature to try to adapt to that which we cannot change or to mislead ourselves into believing we can adapt.
1. According to the passage， the current emergency in Mexico City refers to ______.
A. serious air pollution B. economic crisis
C. unemployment D. natural disaster
2. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage？
A. Kids are in greater danger than grown-ups in Mexico City.
B. The author is not a native Mexican.
C. The author‘s husband is a pediatrician.
D. The Mexican history and culture appeal to the author.
3. The word “hawk” （Paragraph 3） most probably means ______.
A. sell B. transport C. place D. deliver
4. The Mexican government takes half measures to solve the pollution problem because ______.
A. Mexican economy depends very much on cars and factories
B. it is not wise enough to come up with effective measures
C. Mexicans are able to adapt themselves to the current emergency
D. Mexicans enjoy playing dangerous games with their health
5. The purpose of the passage is to ______.
A. describe the harmful air pollution B. explain the way to prevent air pollution
C. show the worries about the air pollution D. recommend a method to avoid air pollution
Passage 18
In 1998 consumers could purchase virtually anything over the Internet. Books， compact discs， and even stocks were available from World Wide Web sites that seemed to spring up almost daily. A few years earlier， some people had predicted that consumers accustomed to shopping in stores would be reluctant to buy things that they could not see or touch in person. For a growing number of time-starved consumers， however， shopping from their home computer was proved to be a convenient alternative to driving to the store.
A research estimated that in 1998 US consumers would purchase $ 7.3 billion of goods over the Internet， double the 1997 total. Finding a bargain was getting easier owing to the rise of online auctions and Web sites that did comparison shopping on the Internet for the best deal.
For all the consumer interest， retailing in cyberspace was still a largely unprofitable business， however. Internet pioneer Amazon. com， which began selling books in 1995 and later branched into recorded music and videos， posted revenue of $ 153.7 million in the third quarter， up from $ 37.9 million in the same period of 1997. Overall， however， the company‘s loss widened to $ 45.2 million from $ 9.6 million， and analysis did not expect the company to turn a profit until 2001. Despite the great loss， Amazon. com had a stock market value of many billions， reflecting investors’ optimism about the future of the industry
Internet retailing appealed to investors because it provided an efficient means for reaching millions of consumers without having the cost of operating conventional stores with their armies of salespeople. Selling online carried its own risks， however. With so many companies competing for consumers‘ attention， price competition was intense and profit margins thin or nonexistent. One video retailer sold the hit movie Titanic for $9.99， undercutting （削價(jià)） the $ 19.99 suggested retail price and losing about $ 6 on each copy sold. With Internet retailing still in its initial stage， companies seemed willing to absorb such losses in an attempt to establish a dominant market position.
1. Which of the following is TRUE according to the writer？
A. Consumers are reluctant to buy things on the Internet.
B. Consumers are too busy to buy things on the Internet.
C. Internet retailing is a profitable business.
D. More and more consumers prefer Internet shopping.
2. Finding a bargain on the Internet was getting easier partly because ______.
A. there were more and more Internet users
B. there were more and more online auctions
C. the consumers had more money to spend
D. there were more goods available on the Internet
3. “For all the consumer interest” （Paragraph 3） means ______.
A. to the interest of all the consumers
B. for the interest of all the consumers
C. though the consumers are very much interested
D. all the consumers are much interested
4. It can be inferred from the passage that Amazon. com ______.
A. will probably make a profit in 2001 B. is making a profit now
C. is a company that sells books only D. suffers a great loss on the stock market
5. Investors are interested in Internet retailing because ______.
A. selling online involves little risk B. Internet retailing is in its initial stage
C. it can easily reach millions of consumers D. they can make huge profits from it
Passage 19
It is all very well to blame traffic jams， the cost of petrol and the quick pace of modern life， but manners on the roads are becoming horrible. You might tolerate the rude and inconsiderate driver， but nowadays the well-mannered motorist is the exception to the rule. Perhaps the situation calls for a “Be Kind to Other Drivers” campaign， otherwise， it may get completely out of hand.
Road politeness is not only good manners， but good sense too. It takes the most cool-headed and good-tempered of drivers to resist the temptation to revenge when subjected to uncivilized behaviors. On the other hand， a little politeness goes a long way towards relieving the tensions of motoring. A friendly nod or a wave of acknowledgement in response to an act of politeness helps to create an atmosphere of goodwill and tolerance so necessary in modern traffic conditions. But such acknowledgements of politeness are all too rare today. Many drivers nowadays don‘t even seem able to recognize politeness when they see it.
However， improper politeness can also be dangerous. A typical example is the driver who waves a child across a crossing into the path of oncoming vehicles that may be unable to stop in time. The same goes for encouraging old ladies to cross the road wherever and whenever they care to.
A veteran driver， whose manners are faultless， told me it would help if motorists learn to filter correctly into traffic streams one at a time without causing the total blockages （堵塞） that give rise to bad temper. Unfortunately， modern motorists can‘t even learn to drive， let alone be well-mannered on the road. Years ago the experts warned us that the car-ownership explosion would demand a lot more give-and-take from all road users. It is high time for all of us to take this message to heart.
1. According to this passage， troubles on the road are primarily caused by ______.
A. people‘s attitude towards drivers B. the rhythm of modern life
C. traffic conditions D. the behavior of the driver
2. The sentence “You might tolerate the rude and inconsiderate driver， but nowadays the well-mannered motorist is the exception to the rule” implies that ______.
A. our society is unjust towards well-mannered motorists
B. rude drivers can be met only occasionally
C. nowadays impolite drivers constitute the majority of motorists
D. the well-mannered motorist cannot tolerate the rude driver
3. By “good sense” （Paragraph 2）， the writer means ______.
A. the driver‘s prompt response to difficult conditions
B. the driver‘s ability to understand and react reasonably
C. the driver‘s tolerance of bad road conditions
D. the driver‘s acknowledgement of politeness and regulations
4. Experts have long pointed out that in the face of car-ownership explosion， ______.
A. drivers should be ready to yield to one another
B. road users should make more sacrifices
C. drivers should have more communication among themselves
D. drivers will suffer a great loss if they pay no respect to others
5. In the writer‘s opinion， ______.
A. drivers should apply road politeness properly
B. strict traffic regulations are badly needed
C. rude and inconsiderate drivers should be punished
D. drivers should try their best to avoid traffic jams
Passage 20
The most noticeable trend among today‘s media companies is vertical integration—an attempt to control several related aspects of the media business at once， each part helping the other. Besides publishing magazines and books， Time Warner， for example， owns Home Box Office （HBO）， Warner movie studios， various cable TV systems throughout the United States and CNN as well. The Japanese company Matsushita owns MCA Records and Universal Studios and manufactures broadcast production equipment.
To describe the financial status of today‘s media is also to talk about acquisitions. The media are buying and selling each other in unprecedented numbers and forming media groups to position themselves in the marketplace to maintain and increase their profits. In 1986， the first time a broadcast network had been sold， two networks were sold that year—ABC and NBC.
Media acquisitions have skyrocketed since 1980 for two reasons. The first is that most big corporations today are publicly traded companies， which means that their stock is traded on one of the nation‘s stock exchanges. This makes acquisitions relatively easy.
A media company that wants to buy a publicly owned company can buy that company‘s stock when the stock becomes available. The open availability of stock in these companies means that anybody with enough money can invest in the American media industries， which is exactly how Rupert Murdoch joined the media business.
The second reason for the increase in media alliances is that beginning in 1980， the Federal Communications Commission （FCC） gradually deregulated the broadcast media. Before 1980， for example， the FCC allowed one company to own only five TV stations， five AM radio stations， and five FM radio stations； companies also were required to hold onto a station for three years before the station could be sold. The post-1980 FCC eliminated the three-year rule and raised the number of broadcast holdings allowed for one owner. This trend of media acquisitions is continuing throughout the 1990s， as changing technology expands the market for media products.
The issue of media ownership is important. If only a few corporations direct the media industries in this country， the outlets for differing political viewpoints and innovative ideas could be limited.
1. What do Time Warner and Matsushita have in common？
A. They both belong to Rupert Murdoch.
B. They are both big American media corporations.
C. They are both outlets of differing viewpoints and innovative ideas.
D. They both own several different but related media businesses.
2. Which of the following is TRUE of the media？
A. They used to sell and buy each other in great numbers.
B. They are trading each other in greater numbers today.
C. They used to be controlled by two networks—ABC and NBC.
D. They have stopped the trend of acquisitions in the 1990s.
3. According to the passage， what makes acquisitions easier？
A. The changing technology employed by the media.
B. The media‘s increasing profits in the marketplace.
C. The even tougher regulations of the FCC on the media since 1980.
D. The availability of the media‘s stocks on stock exchanges.
4. What is the FCC‘s new policy regarding media alliances？
A. It allows companies to sell their stocks publicly.
B. It doesn‘t allow companies to sell their stocks publicly.
C. It permits one company to own more media businesses at the same time.
D. It has eliminated all post-1980 companies.
5. The issue of media ownership is important because ______.
A. it affects the amount of money the stockholders will make
B. it decides whether we can have different aspects of the media
C. it concerns the channels through which to express opinions
D. it means that more and more people will hold onto only a few stations